Sunderland defender Lamine Kone has admitted that he is happy on Wearside after his winter transfer.

Fitting in

Kone made the move Stadium of Light back in the January transfer window after securing a move away from Ligue 1 side FC Lorient and has fitted straight into Sam Allardyce’s starting eleven.

He told safc.com that he is settling in “very, very well” and the French clique at the club “really helped”, according to the defender.

He continued saying that he feels “very good” in the North East of England and his family are “very happy” which he sees as a “bonus”.

Lamine Kone has settled at Sunderland AFC after his January move from FC Lorient | Photo: Northern Echo
Lamine Kone has settled at Sunderland AFC after his January move from FC Lorient | Photo: Northern Echo

Room for improvement

Allardyce’s side have been struggling at the bottom of the table for the majority of the season but have begun to improve of the last few matches.

They tasted defeat just once in their last five matches, which sees them just two points away from safety and 17th-placed Norwich City.

The month of March saw many missed opportunities; losing points to Crystal Palace, Southampton and Newcastle United from winning positions with a potential nine points ending up as just three.

Kone is desperate to return to winning ways after the international break when they host West Bromwich Albion at the Stadium of Light on April 2.

He said that the side have faired “pretty well” in the last few weeks and there are “a lot of positives” in those performances.

He continued, saying that him and fellow January transfer Wahbi Khazri have offered “something extra” since their arrival with Khazri “in attack” and himself “in defence”.

With “other players” and “quality in the team”, Kone believes they have to “go and do better”.

Sunderland will host West Bromwich Albion at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, April 2 with kick-off at 3pm BST.

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About the author
Danial  Kennedy
Award-winning sports journalism graduate. Currently studying a PR Masters at the University of Sunderland. Writing for VAVEL since August 2014. Twitter - @ddkjournalism.