NOW SAM EYES M’VILA
PALACE BOSS ALLARDYCE LOOKS TO ADD FORMER CATS LOANEE YANN TO SELHURST SQUAD
Crystal Palace are weighing up a move for former Sunderland midfielder Yann M’Vila.
Ex-Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce is looking to strengthen his midfield options at Palace ahead of Tuesday night’s deadline and M’Vila would cost Sunderland’s relegation rivals £11million.
The 26-year-old had been set to re-join Sunderland on a permanent three-and-ahalf-year contract when his Rubin Kazan deal expired last month.
But M’Vila’s representatives informed the Black Cats that he no longer wanted to return to Wearside, despite a successful loan spell last season.
He then signed a new deal with the Russian side, but that contract is understood to include a clause that would allow M’Vila to join a Premier League side for £11million.
Allardyce is now weighing up whether to make a move for the central midfielder, with the Russian transfer window opening today.
Sunderland officials had been in negotiations with the Russian side throughout last summer over the permanent transfer of fan favourite M’Vila.
But any hopes of landing him were thwarted by cashrich Rubin’s refusal to go any lower than their £8.5million asking price for a player who at the time had just a few months left on his deal.
As a result, a pre-contract agreement was then agreed between M’Vila and the Black Cats for the midfielder to join in January until his change of heart.
Meanwhile, the Echo understands that Sunderland’s Under-23 coach Andy Welsh is to join Warren Joyce’s backroom staff at Wigan Athletic.
Welsh has been in charge of the Black Cats Under-23 side since Robbie Stockdale was promoted to first-team duties last year.
Reports that Welsh was to leave for Wigan first sur- faced in November last year. The Echo understands that compensation has been agreed.
Long-serving Sunderland academy manager Ged McNamee and assistant academy manager Danny Philpott have also left the club in recent months.
Steve Gibson has no intention of selling Middlesbrough after rejecting a £50million offer for a 50 per cent stake in the club from Chinese businessman Chien Lee.
It is understood that Gibson, in charge of Boro since 1986, is not interested ether in a full sale or a partnership, but is open to potential new commercial avenues.