Newcastle United & Sunderland Battle for £34m Serie A Star

North-East rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland are both pushing to sign Roma winger Matías Soulé before Tuesday’s summer transfer window deadline, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who reported the story for TEAMtalk.

Both clubs have been working hard on attacking reinforcements, and the Argentine winger has emerged as a shared target in what has quickly turned into a direct regional rivalry.

Roma are willing to let Soulé leave this summer, with a fee of between €35 million and €45 million enough to get the deal done as the Italian club look to balance their books before the window closes. Newcastle United face a genuine race against time to beat their North East neighbours to the punch.

Soulé at 23 is coming off a productive 2025/26 season at Roma, registering 7 goals and 8 assists across 42 appearances in all competitions.

His creative numbers are serious. 45 key chances created and 35 successful dribbles in Serie A alone. A left-footed inverted winger who operates from the right, he’s the sort of technically sharp profile that doesn’t grow on trees in this market.

Why Newcastle United need to complete transfer of Matias Soule

Newcastle United’s right flank has been a problem that has gone unaddressed for too long. Under Matthias Jaissle, the attacking structure leans heavily on Yoane Wissa and Will Osula, which creates a real imbalance on the right side. Soulé’s 84.4% pass completion rate and 45 open-play chances created in 2025/26 tell you he isn’t just a wide runner.

He functions as a genuine half-space creator, the kind of player who drags opposition defences out of shape. His historical dribbling accuracy of 96.8% under pressure adds something Newcastle’s midfield and attack currently can’t generate on that side.

Given Newcastle’s financial strength, clearing Roma’s €40m asking price isn’t a stretch. A 23-year-old with elite European experience at that price, in this market, is sound business.

Why Sunderland also want to sign Soule

Sunderland’s case is different but no less compelling. The Black Cats have been chasing Soulé all summer, and their identity as a club built around giving young technical players creative freedom makes this fit genuinely coherent. Soulé would be the standout talent from the first day.

His 132 ball recoveries and 42 defensive contributions during 2025/26 Serie A show the high-intensity work rate English football demands.

A brief spell of pubalgia did dent his shooting frequency towards the end of the season, but it doesn’t undermine what he offers structurally. Sunderland want to make a statement. Signing Soulé before Tuesday would be exactly that.

Sunderland’s incomings have been limited thus far in the summer, having made just three permanent signings in the current window. Having spent so much in the summer of 2025, this is understandable.

Still, with European football on the horizon after finishing sixth in the Premier League last year, one might’ve expected a bit more activity from the Black Cats over the last few weeks. Time isn’t up for them to make another splash just yet, but it is swiftly running out for Regis le Bris’ men.