Sunderland’s decision not to sell Lamine Kone in 2016 now a massive error

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It appears Sunderland are on the verge of moving Lamine Kone on this summer. The 29-year-old is all set to join Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on loan.

As reported by the Roker Report the French side will pick up his wages and pay a loan fee for the deal to go through.

L’Equipe have since reported that the two sides have also agreed a permanent clause option in the deal. It would see the Ivorian join the club permanently for a fee of €2 million (£1.8 million) at the end of the season if Strasbourg are impressed by his performances.

On the one hand, it is excellent news for Sunderland. Finally, they can get a player off the books who has been wasting valuable salary space for some time now.

On the other, it is a massive demise since two years ago.

Everton wanted Kone that summer. The Toffees had a bid of £18 million rejected for the player in the summer of 2016. Sunderland decided not to sell the Ivorian to back former toffees manager David Moyes.

However, it all went horribly downhill from there. Kone was poor in 2016-17, as Sunderland finished bottom of the Premier League. His performances in the Championship were not much better last season, as Sunderland suffered relegation to League One.

In two years Sunderland have seen the valuation of one of their key players drop from £18 million, to £1.8 million. A decimal point slammed right in the middle of a whopping price-tag that equates to a loss of £16.2 million.

In hindsight, Sunderland will probably wish they sold the player two years ago. But in hindsight, Sunderland would do a lot of things differently. Now it is about cutting out the old rot and building a new Sunderland. Getting rid of Kone was a must if that is too happen.