If a recent update from transfer insider Fabrizio Romano is believed to be true, Sunderland are closing in on free agent Arthur Masuaku on a two-year contract. He also passed his medical on Friday, thus becoming their tenth first-team signing since securing a dramatic top-flight promotion.

Born in France, the 31-year-old DR Congo international is a familiar name to Premier League fans for his tenure with West Ham United. After spending his youth years with Lille OM.S. Fives, Lens, and Valenciennes, the left-back eventually represented the Athenians in Ligue 1. He then plied his trade in Greece following a €300,000 transfer to Olympiacos, and an impressive two-year stint with the Greek giants earned him a €7m transfer to East London in the summer of 2016.

Masuaku primarily challenged and covered Aaron Cresswell for six seasons in succession, and made 128 appearances for the Hammers across competitions. However, his game time decreased in the later years, resulting in a season-long loan to Besiktas. There, he played regularly throughout the 2022-23 season, and the Turkish side triggered the option-to-buy clause in 2023 for the next couple of campaigns.