The Lorient centre-back Lamine Kone has been high on Sam Allardyce's wish-list throughout the January transfer window. As the club looked to strengthen their defensive options and almost confirmed the deal, last minute changes from the Black Cats put a hold on the deal.
Sunderland's late alterations brought an end to the original deal and frustrated those involved in the process at Lorient, but Allardyce didn't give up his pursuit. He has continued to try and breathe life back into the deal, though it seems like that will not be successful.
No deal
Today the Lorient manager, Sylvain Ripoll, spoke about the situation and it now appears that he has very little interest in letting go of the Ivorian. Ripoll has begun introducing him back into his squad, something that has "happened before" due to previous transfer rumors.
With Kone now reintegrated into the starting 11, Ripoll expects him to "move on" and showcase his "ability" for Lorient, at least until the summer time. As for now, the deal looks to be off the cards.
It's not uncommon for transfers to fall through at the last moment, especially during the January period, which is known for being a difficult time to recruit players. Ripoll believes it's now simply "part of football".
Allardyce may need to force through a deal
But it wont be good news for those on Wearside, and Allardyce will certainly be kicking himself that he couldn't get the deal finalised when it was so close to being completed. After conceding four goals to Tottenham, there is certainly a case to be made for Sunderland needing more defensive ability.
Sunderland have managed to capture one defender in this transfer window, Jan Kirchhoff. His debut turned out to be something of a nightmare for the former Bayern Munich player, and hasn't left fans overly confident that the issue has been resolved. What is clear is that Kone will not be the answer to this major problem.
