Sunderland's Bold Move for £30m Roma Forward Matias Soule
Sunderland are attempting one of the most eye-catching moves of the summer, opening talks to bring Roma forward Matias Soule to Wearside in a deal that could cost around £30million.
Sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, the architect of last year’s highly praised recruitment drive, has made the Argentina international one of his priority targets as Sunderland gear up for a landmark season that includes European football.
Ghisolfi moves for a familiar face
This is not a speculative punt. Ghisolfi knows exactly what he is chasing.
He was the man who took Soule to Roma from Juventus in 2024 during his spell as sporting director in the Italian capital. Now, installed at Sunderland and under pressure to build a squad capable of handling both the Premier League and Europe, he is pushing for a reunion.
Initial contact has already been made. Soule’s representatives have indicated the 23-year-old is open to the move and keen on testing himself in the Premier League. That green light from the player’s side has encouraged Sunderland to press on with negotiations rather than simply admire from afar.
Roma, for their part, are prepared to sanction Soule’s departure this summer. The Italian club are understood to value him at around £30m (€35m / $40m), a figure Sunderland are willing to explore as they look for a statement signing in the final third.
A versatile weapon for Le Bris
Regis Le Bris wants flexibility and intensity across his front line. Soule ticks both boxes.
Capable of operating anywhere across the attack, the Argentine is viewed inside the club as the kind of adaptable, high-ceiling forward who can immediately raise the level of the squad while still fitting a long-term project.
With European fixtures on the horizon and the physical grind of a Premier League campaign to navigate, Sunderland see Soule as a player who can start now and grow with the team rather than a short-term gamble.
Crucially, finances are not expected to derail the move. Sunderland have put themselves in a position to act.
Sales fuel another marquee signing
The club are in the process of completing the sale of Ivory Coast winger Simon Adingra and have already banked a sizeable fee from Eliezer Mayenda’s switch to Rennes. Those outgoing deals have given the Black Cats room to manoeuvre and the freedom to chase another headline arrival.
They are not, though, throwing caution to the wind. Sources are clear: Sunderland are acutely aware of both UEFA and Premier League financial regulations and are structuring their summer business with those guardrails firmly in mind.
The message is consistent from inside the club. Last season’s success is a platform, not a destination. Sunderland intend to strengthen, not stand still.
Their stance over key figures underlines that intent. The club remain firm on keeping captain Granit Xhaka and midfielder Noah Sadiki despite mounting interest from elsewhere, resisting the temptation to cash in as their profiles rise.
Relationship could be decisive
That leaves space for targeted upgrades. Soule is at the top of that list.
He is seen as a forward who can make an immediate impact in England while still aligning perfectly with Sunderland’s recruitment model: young, versatile, technically gifted, and with resale value if his trajectory continues upward.
Ghisolfi’s existing relationship with both Soule and Roma could prove decisive as talks develop. He has already convinced the player once; now he is trying to do it again, this time with the lure of the Premier League and European nights at the Stadium of Light.
If Sunderland pull this off, it will not just be another signing. It will be a clear signal of where they believe they belong in the new landscape of English and European football.
