KONE TO SUNDERLAND?
Sam Allardyce is awaiting an answer from Lorient's Lamine Kone after Sunderland's on-off pursuit of the defender took a fresh twist.
The Sunderland boss has twice ended his interest in the 26-year Ivorian this month, the club initially cooling on a £5m deal before negotiations broke down after a loan move had been proposed.
However, the transfer has been resurrected after Lorient vice-president Alex Hayes confirmed the club had received a bid they "couldn't refuse".
Hayes told Ouest France: "Sunderland have come back with a firm offer that we couldn't refuse. The ball is therefore in Lamine Kone's camp. He has to make his decision in the coming hours."