Sunderland manager David Moyes has warned potential suitors that Lamine Kone will not leave the club until he has found a suitable defensive replacement, The Mirror have reported.
Speculation has been rife in recent times surrounding the powerful defender’s future at the Stadium of Light but it now looks as though he’s staying put for the foreseeable future – unless Moyes can identify a replacement before allowing him to leave the club.
Although Moyes has already strengthened his Sunderland squad with defensive reinforcements since joining The Black Cats ahead of a long campaign in the Premier League, his options are still limited and he will be keen to keep hold of all of the current players that he has at his disposal.
The big thing is we are short of players, whether it is centre-halves, midfield players or full-backs. We are short of players and I will not be letting anyone go who I think can contribute to the team. And Kone makes a big contribution to the team.
If I think I can do things in other ways then I will have to think about it. But at the moment the market has made it really difficult to do that.
Moyes did reiterate, however, that a new deal will be offered to the 27-year-old at the beginning of September if a move hasn’t gone through by then.
I’ve told him if he stays, we will honour what was said to him and we will give him a new contract on September 1.
Kone started Sunderland’s first game of the season against Manchester City on Saturday as they lost 2-1, and Moyes is desperate to keep hold of the Ivorian, with Kone appearing to be keen on staying on Wearside.
