Sunderland boss David Moyes has set his imminent focus on bringing some players into the Stadium of Light to bolster his squad for the next season. The veteran manager knows all too well that for some time now the Black Cats have been repeating the same story each season as they seem destined to fight relegation by the end of their campaign. Moyes wants to put an end to that misery for good and he has clearly stated that there needs to be a change in not only the approach but also the outlook. Having turned things around at Everton, Moyes knows what’s needed to transform a club and keep them in the top half of the table and is thus keen on having a good transfer window.
Moyes has already claimed that he cannot rule out the possibility of the club selling players in the future in order to raise funds. The Scotsman is currently concentrating on bringing some new players into the club as the new season draws nearer by every passing day. One of the stars of the current Sunderland squad is Lamine Kone. The Ivorian international has been one of the stand-out players of the squad since his transfer in January 2016.
The 27-year-old centre-back delivered some brilliant gutsy performances in the last four months of the season under immense pressure and provided the solid base for his manager Sam Allardyce on which he and the club were able to survive relegation. In their penultimate game of last season against Everton, Kone dazzled at both ends and ended the match with a clean sheet and two goals and eventually the man of the match award as The Black Cats saved relegation on the basis of the 3-0 score line.
The former Lorient star has thus attracted some interest in this window with Everton very keen on the signing the player. David Moyes has acted quickly though and in a bid to fend off interests from their Premier rivals, the club has reportedly offered the player a massive deal of £70,000 per week. It is thus clear that the manager is keen on keeping their prized asset in the club for next season. However, when asked about the transfer situation and approach of the club in the market Moyes said, “I’m always going to keep the best players, but I’m also going to move the club along. At different times things will have to change,”
“I would never say that it won’t happen. But I want to keep the best players and build a team. The more important thing is us bringing players in and bringing in players who can get us away from the wrong end of the league.”
Offering Kone the bumper contract is an indication of the intention of the club to keep hold of its best players. The defender was promised a new contract by Allardyce as a reward for keeping Sunderland in the Premiership and fulfilling the promise even after the departure of Big Sam would certainly increase the image of the club amongst the players. Nevertheless, there has also been a hint in the words of Moyes that, Sunderland would be willing to do business at the right price and if they do decide to raise funds then as one of the most prized assets Lamine Kone would be at the top of the list. Considering how much stability he has brought since his arrival, that would be a silly move.
