Cats closing in on right fee to let Ndong go

Sunderland owner Stewart Donald does not expect Didier Ndong, Bryan Oviedo, Lamine Kone or Papy Djilobodji to play for the club again.

The Black Cats are eager to cut costs going into only their second ever season of third-tier football.

While Sunderland have managed to offload Wahbi Khazri to SaintEtienne, and seen big-earner Jack Rodwell exit the club, the Wearsiders want further outgoings.

Ex-Everton left-back Oviedo is attracting interest from foreign clubs, having played for Costa Rica at the World Cup in Russia this summer, and Ivorian centre-back Kone also has admirers, albeit not at the level of fee that Sunderland desire.

Asked about Gabon midfielder Ndong on Roker Report, Donald said: “There is interest from four or five clubs and they are all very close to the valuation.

“There’s been an increase in interest in Oviedo.

“Brugge expressed an interest, but I don’t think they can afford him.

“There’s a German club and a French club who have shown an interest now.

“Kone, there’s interest in, but not at our valuation. “With Djilobodji, it’s quite quiet. “I don’t think we’ll see them in a Sunderland shirt again, so it becomes a financial transaction.”

Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne chief executive Frédéric Paquet is delighted with the capture of Khazri for an initial £6million, joining up at Les Verts with ex-Newcastle defender Mathieu Debuchy.

Paquet said: “At 27 years of age, Wahbi has reached maturity. He’s a technical leader and a player with good character that the team needs in order to keep the dynamic that we had during the second half of last season (ending seventh in Ligue 1).”