Sunderland manager David Moyes has added yet another twist to the transfer saga regarding Lamine Kone, as the Scotsman reiterates that he is not willing to let the defender leave the club this summer, The Guardian can report.
It was initially believed that Kone was all but set for the exit door after interest from Everton intensified and became concrete, leading them to offer a staggering £21 million for the defender.
Koné will stay. The offer’s been rejected by me, yes. I’ve had that offer for a while now and I could have invested the money two weeks ago but doing that is very difficult.
However, in somewhat of a u-turn, it now looks as though, whether Kone signs a new deal at the Stadium of Light or not, he will be pulling on the red and white shirt for the foreseeable future.
The main reason for Moyes’ reluctance to allow Kone to leave in the next week is solely down to the fact that, for the money on offer, he is unsure whether there will be a central defensive option on the market that will be of the towering defender’s standard for the price desired.
Given the prices, it would be very difficult to replace Lamine. Unless we could get a suitable replacement, I would never do the deal.
Kone only signed for Sunderland in January and could now be set for his first full season with the club.
