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July 14, 2026 Updated at 5:37 a.m. ET.
Sunderland are set to complete the signing of free agent Thomas Meunier following his departure from Lille.
The 34-year-old defender will join the club on a two-year contract.
He arrived in Newcastle on Tuesday morning to undergo a medical and is expected to sign a contract soon.
Meunier was part of Belgium’s World Cup squad this summer, appearing in the tournament three times before reaching the quarter-finals against Spain.
The right-back has made 83 caps since making his debut in 2013 and was part of the Belgium squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.
Meunier left Lille this summer after two years at the club, during which he made 81 appearances, providing four goals and four assists. Last season he appeared 35 times in all competitions.
He joined the Ligue 1 side from Trabzonspor, having previously spent four years at Borussia Dortmund and four years at Paris Saint-Germain. With the latter he won three Ligue 1 titles.
Sunderland finished seventh in the Premier League last season and qualified for Europe after relegation from the Championship in the previous campaign.
Captain Granit Xhaka caught Chelsea’s attention earlier this summer when the west London club rejected an offer of £8 million (€9.2 million, $10.5 million). Following discussions, Xhaka has committed his future to Sunderland and is expected to remain at the club this summer.
July 14, 2026
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