Thomas Meunier ‘hugely excited’ about joining Sunderland on a free transfer

Sunderland have completed the signing of the experienced Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier on a two-year deal as Régis Le Bris’s team step up preparations for a second successive season in the Premier League alongside a Europa League campaign.

Meunier, who has just returned from the World Cup, has been capped 83 times by Belgium and was a free agent after the expiration of his contract at Lille. The 34-year-old is Sunderland’s first summer signing.

“I’m hugely excited and honoured to join Sunderland,” said Meunier. “When I spoke with the club I was impressed by the ambition, the project and the desire to keep moving forward. Competing in Europe was also a big factor in my decision. I hope I can bring my experience to the squad, both on and off the pitch.”

During the course of a career featuring successful stints at Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, Meunier made 43 Champions League appearances and 33 Europa League appearances. At 6ft 3in he offers an amalgam of physical presence and attacking threat from right-back, where he is likely to compete with Northern Ireland’s Trai Hume, with his arrival potentially allowing Nordi Mukiele to relocate from full-back to centre-back.