Let Him Go Coleman: Sunderland Selling This Centre-back For £10m Would Be Ideal For The Club
As stated as far back as the early part of this season, Sunderland have stated that they are willing to sell centre-back Lamine Kone for £10million in January as long as they can find a buyer. With the club in desperate need for points though, would selling their ‘star’ centre-back be such a good move?
Well firstly, Kone is only a star by reputation. He indeed has the talent to be a proper Premier League defender but his attitude has left a lot to be desired on Wearside at a time when they need real characters who would fight for the cause even more than they need players with ‘talent’.
The club have crippling debts and are hence not in a position to go into the transfer market too deeply as things stand. However, with a £10million windfall coming their way, it may be enough to buy some attacking talent which could help them out of their relegation mess.
Until now, Lewis Grabban may also head out of the club should Bournemouth decide to first recall and then sell him in January. This would leave Sunderland badly short of goals. The price was set by Sunderland after learning that their former boss Sam Allardyce apparently fancies a reunion with Kone at Everton, with a deal for the Ivory Coast international defender looking like a big possibility for the Goodison Park club.
Back in August 2016, Kone was close to joining Everton but the move was blocked by the Sunderland board who felt they needed his talent more than money. The 28-year-old has made 13 appearances for Sunderland this term but is now out through injury and is unable to help the cause any further for now.
Kone was, in fact, a Sam Allardyce signing two years ago and was a big hit in the side which just about avoided relegation under the current Everton manager.
He did struggle last season in all honesty, as the club’s consisting flirting with the bottom three eventually led to them losing their Premier League status. While his transfer value has gone down, his reputation at least in Sam Allardyce’s office has remained positive.
For me, I’d say things have completely turned around for Sunderland in the last 18 months and so they definitely need the money more than they need the player. There is no way in the current climate they are getting the best out of Kone anyway and so it would seem best all round if they simply let him go.