Sunderland Pursue Matias Soule for Ambitious European Campaign
Sunderland are attempting one of the boldest signings of the summer, opening talks to bring Roma forward Matias Soule to Wearside in a deal that would underline their new-found ambition on the continent.
The Black Cats, gearing up for a landmark season that includes European football, have moved early. Initial contact has been made with Soule’s camp, and those close to the discussions indicate the Argentina international is open to testing himself in the Premier League. That alone has encouraged Sunderland to push on.
Ghisolfi goes back to a trusted talent
This is not a speculative punt. It is targeted, calculated – and personal.
Sporting director Florent Ghisolfi knows Soule as well as anyone in European recruitment circles. He was the man who took the 23-year-old from Juventus to Roma in 2024 during his spell as the Giallorossi’s sporting director. Now, from his office on Wearside, he is trying to engineer a reunion.
Soule has quickly risen to the top of Ghisolfi’s shortlist. Inside the club, he is viewed as a priority target, the kind of signing that can both lift the dressing room and sharpen the attack for a season that will stretch the squad across multiple fronts.
Roma, for their part, are ready to talk. The Italian side are prepared to sanction Soule’s departure this summer and are understood to be seeking a fee in the region of £30 million (€35m / $40m). That price tag places him firmly in “statement signing” territory for Sunderland – and they know it.
A forward made for a modern attack
Soule’s attraction is obvious to Sunderland’s hierarchy. Comfortable across the entire front line, he offers the versatility that head coach Regis Le Bris craves as he builds a side capable of adapting to different opponents and competitions.
He is not being viewed as a project. Inside the club, the belief is that Soule could make an immediate impact while still fitting the long-term recruitment strategy that has underpinned Sunderland’s rise. A player for now, and for the seasons beyond this European campaign.
Crucially, those close to the talks insist finances are not expected to be the main obstacle. Sunderland’s recent outgoings have created room to move.
Sales fuel another marquee move
The club are in the final stages of completing the sale of Ivory Coast winger Simon Adingra, while Eliezer Mayenda’s switch to Rennes has already brought in a significant fee. Those deals have provided the financial flexibility to chase another headline addition without tearing up the wage structure.
There is no sense of reckless spending, though. Sources stress that Sunderland remain acutely aware of both UEFA and Premier League financial regulations and are carefully structuring their business to stay on the right side of the line.
The message from inside the club is clear: consolidation is not an option. After last season’s success, Sunderland intend to strengthen, not simply cling to what they have built.
That stance has already been tested. The Black Cats have taken a firm line over captain Granit Xhaka and midfielder Noah Sadiki, resisting growing interest from elsewhere and signalling that key pillars of the squad are not for sale.
Keep the core. Add quality. Push on.
Relationship could tip the balance
In that context, Soule is seen as the next piece of the puzzle. A forward with European experience, technical flair and positional flexibility, available at a price Sunderland believe they can handle, and open to the challenge of the Premier League.
Ghisolfi’s existing relationship with both Roma and the player could prove decisive. He has sold the project once before. Now he is trying to do it again, this time with the lure of English football and European nights at the Stadium of Light.
If Sunderland can turn these early conversations into a concrete agreement, Soule would arrive as a clear signal of intent: this is a club not just happy to be back on the European stage, but determined to stay there.
