CATS LEFT COUNTING KONE COST
SUNDERLAND face taking a £15million hit on central defender Lamine Kone.
The Black Cats could have sold the Ivory Coast defender to Everton at the beginning of last season for £18m.
But they blocked that deal and Kone,
29 (below) then signed a new five-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
Now, after successive relegations and having to endure League One status next season, Sunderland would do well to bank
£3m for Kone if they sold him in the summer.
That’s the current valuation placed on the Paris-born player by one Premier League transfer negotiator.
Some clubs, though, could see that as a bargain price as Kone showed in his first season at Sunderland how effective he is capable of being in the top flight.
He played a leading role then in the successful fight against relegation, when Sam Allardyce was in charge of the Black Cats.
And Big Sam could be interested again at that price if he continues in his current role at Everton.
Kone’s future is just one of the many issues facing Stewart Donald, the proposed new owner of Sunderland, who complete a sorry Championship campaign against champions Wolves at the SoL today.
PAUL HETHERINGTON Saints only just had time to kick off again after Tom Davies’ shot deflected off Wesley Hoedt to leave keeper Alex McCarthy stranded and deny Mark Hughes’ strugglers a vital win.
Half of the team sank to the Goodison Park turf, hardly believing their fate after Everton scored with only their shot on target.
The draw did lift them out of the bottom three – above Swansea on goal difference and two points behind Huddersfield.
And Hughes could still need at least one win from the last two games to avoid Saints joining his former club Stoke in a double relegation.
Dusan Tadic was Saints’ saviour with a brace in their win against Bournemouth last weekend.
And the goalscorer turned provider this time, feeding full-back Cedric Soares on the overlap.
His cross went beyond all the Everton defenders but substitute Nathan Redmond, on for the injured Mario Lemina, timed his run perfectly to plant a header past Jordan Pickford. Saints now may have to avoid defeat at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night and it could still all go down to the last day.
And they will have to travel to Wales without Japanese defender Maya Yoshida, who was sent off with 10 minutes to go after he was shown a second yellow card.
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