Sunderland had reached an agreement reportedly worth £25.7m with Toulouse to secure the signature of the promising young French defender.
Sunderland’s pursuit of Dayann Methalie now faces uncertainty after the player failed to pass a section of his medical examination prior to joining the club.
The 20-year-old arrived in the North East on Sunday evening and underwent his medical assessment over the past day.
However, an issue has emerged, and the player is returning to France while additional medical examinations take place.
Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that the defender has suffered a minor back injury, which has caused the transfer to stall.
It’s uncertain whether Sunderland will abandon the signing altogether, with the outcome probably hinging on those subsequent tests.
Methalie had been touring the Stadium of Light ahead of the proposed transfer, with Welcome to Sunderland shown on a screen inside the stadium alongside images of the player.
Nevertheless, the agreement is now uncertain following the discovery of the back problem. This represents a setback for Sunderland, who had overcome competition from several clubs across Europe to sign the highly-rated youth international.
Dayann Methalie had reached an agreement with Sunderland regarding a potential move to the Premier League.
Methalie had rejected interest from Italy before opting for a switch to Wearside, filling the left-back position Regis Le Bris was eager to address.
The Black Cats lack depth at full-back following Dennis Cirkin’s exit earlier in the summer.
Reinildo serves as the sole senior option on the left side of defence, with Sunderland requiring further choices ahead of an extensive European campaign.
Le Bris remained tight-lipped after the 2-1 victory over Stade Rennais at the weekend when questioned about a potential move for Methalie.
The Sunderland manager indicated he could not discuss something that remains uncertain, expressing hope that progress would be made in the transfer window.
When asked whether he remained calm about the transfer market, Le Bris responded with evident scepticism, hoping that was the case.
He noted that owner Kyril and Flo Ghisolfi are exerting significant effort behind the scenes, expressing confidence on that front.
He added that the outcome is always dependent on the market and remains unpredictable, though they remain hopeful.