Sunderland are on the cusp of their second season back in the Premier League, and the Black Cats are eager to make a statement in the transfer market. Regis Le Bris, the French tactician, is determined to maintain continuity after finishing seventh last term and securing European competition. However, he acknowledges that the transfer window is proving tricky, and the team must be "really precise" in bringing over the right players to strengthen their squad. The signing of Granit Xhaka last summer is an illustration of the Wearsiders' success since breaking back into the big time. Xhaka, who was 32 at the time, signed for Sunderland in a deal rising to £17m and was hailed as the "signing of the season" in the Premier League. He spearheaded a charge that led to Europe, a first-class leader and all-action star at the heart of the field. This summer, Xabi Alonso's Chelsea came sniffing around, but the Black Cats resisted, and Xhaka looks set to stay put for another term at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland made sweeping changes upon promotion to the Premier League last year, but for all their savvy business, this veteran midfielder takes the cake. However, Le Bris and co are now pushing to complete their finest deal since landing the Switzerland star. So far this summer, Sunderland have only signed Thomas Meunier from Lille on a free transfer. Given that they are entering European competition, it should go without saying that they need to add more to the building. Well, every effort is being invested in landing their top summer target, with journalist James Copley revealing that talks with Toulouse remain ongoing to sign top target Dayann Methalie. Methalie, 20, has emerged as one of the most exciting left-backs in Europe. He broke into Ligue 1 last season and dazzled, so much so that Toulouse have rejected Sunderland's latest €33m (£28m) offer to bring him over to the Premier League. They are actively looking at alternatives, but remain intent on getting this one done. When Sunderland wrapped up a deal for Xhaka, it proved the end of a challenging transfer saga that showed persistence can pay off. They had to up their initial package by £7m to sign the Swiss skipper, and it's fair to say that one paid dividends, the 33-year-old belying his age to take centre-stage throughout the campaign. Methalie would be a contrasting signing to Xhaka. In him, they would be signing elite potential, but he is not there yet. In Ligue 1, the young defender started 22 times across his breakout term, scoring two goals and averaging two tackles per game. Most impressive was his energy and pace, surging forward and cutting into the danger area. He has a lot of potential, and if Sunderland do pull it off, top outfits will come knocking before long. Reinildo was certainly something of a mixed bag last season, and the lack of nuance crafted and maintained down the left chanel played a part in Sunderland's inconsistent form. However, with Methalie on the horizon, the Black Cats are hoping to address this weakness and take their game to the next level. The League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way) is a testament to Sunderland's resilience, finishing 7th in the Premier League with 54 points from 38 games. Recent form has been impressive, with three wins in their last five matches, and the team is on a 3-game winning run. Goals this season have been scored at a rate of 42, while 48 have been conceded, resulting in a -6 goal difference. The title race is a long way from over, with Sunderland 31 points behind leaders Arsenal. The last result was a 2-1 win over Chelsea on 2026-05-24, and the next fixture is away to Ipswich on 2026-08-22.