Sunderland have reached a full agreement to sign Dayann Methalie, with the defender due in the UK for a medical ahead of a five-year deal

Sunderland have reached a full agreement with Toulouse to sign Dayann Methalie, with the highly-rated left-back now expected to travel to the UK today ahead of a medical.

The Echo understands the two clubs have finalised a deal worth £25.7million for the 20-year-old, made up of £24million guaranteed and a further £1.7million in add-ons. Methalie is expected on Wearside later today, with his medical scheduled to take place within the next 24 hours before he completes the remaining formalities of the transfer.

The France youth international is set to sign a five-year contract with Sunderland, bringing to an end one of the club’s longest-running transfer pursuits of the summer. Sunderland had seen several offers rejected by Toulouse during negotiations, including a larger overall package, before the clubs eventually found common ground over the structure of the deal.

The final agreement is understood to include more guaranteed money and less tied up in future instalments and add-ons, helping both sides reach a breakthrough. Methalie had already agreed to make the move to Sunderland and remained keen on joining Régis Le Bris’ side throughout negotiations.

Barring any late issues with the medical or final paperwork, the transfer is now expected to be completed shortly. His arrival will strengthen Sunderland’s options at left-back ahead of a season which will include Premier League and Europa League football, with the club finally set to land a player they have chased throughout the summer, after weeks of talks and a firm negotiating stance from Sunderland officials.