Sunderland are reportedly closing in on their first signing of the summer, with Belgium international Thomas Meunier set to join on a free transfer.
Meunier, who helped Belgium reach the World Cup quarter-finals before being edged out by Spain, is believed to have already arrived in the North East and is set to undergo a medical later on Tuesday.
If all goes well, the experienced 34-year-old, who left French club Lille at the end of last season, is expected to pen a two-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
Meunier will provide a wealth of experience
The arrival of Meunier would appear to be a smart piece of business for Sunderland, who are preparing for their first European campaign in more than 50 years after qualifying for the Europa League via their seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Meunier certainly has an abundance of European experience, spending four years apiece at both Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, winning three Ligue 1 titles with the former.
A brief spell in Turkey with Trabzonspor was then followed by two years back in France at Lille where he was a regular, playing more than 80 times across all competitions.
The full-back has also made 83 appearances for Belgium and featured at six major tournaments, including this summer's World Cup where he appeared in three matches.
Having made more than 90 appearances in various European competitions over his career, Meunier could be the ideal signing to help Sunderland negotiate their continental experiences alongside domestic matters.
Similarities to Xhaka transfer
Sunderland will be hoping that Meunier can have a similar impact to the one made by Granit Xhaka, who joined the Black Cats last summer from Bayer Leverkusen.
The former Arsenal star was quickly named captain by Regis Le Bris and was a near ever-present as Sunderland defied expectations to secure their joint-highest Premier League finish.
Such was the impact of Xhaka, Chelsea, now managed by his former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, were heavily linked with making a move for the 33-year-old, but in a further boost for Sunderland, it looks like he has opted to remain on Wearside.
Could Meunier be the first of many new arrivals?
Following promotion to the Premier League in 2025, Sunderland did not stand on ceremony, instead Le Bris oversaw a complete overhaul of his squad with no fewer than 18 new players arriving through the door.
The brave approach had the desired effect, but so far this summer things have been a lot quieter on the transfer front, with Meunier set to be the club's first new addition.
The likes of Roma winger Matias Soule, Colombian World Cup defender Jhon Lucumi and Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic have all been linked with moves to the Stadium of Light over recent days and the arrival of Meunier could open the transfer floodgates once more.
Sunderland's squad is large, even factoring in the demands of an upcoming European campaign.
Dan Neil, Dennis Cirkin and Bertrand Traore have all been allowed to leave on free transfers while fringe players Nazariy Rusyn and Eliezer Mayenda have been sold.
It may be the case that Sunderland look to move on more players before delving further into the market, but it does appear Meunier will be wearing the famous red and white stripes in 2026/27.
