Axeing Sebastian Coates for Papy Djilobodji sums up Sunderland’s transfer blunders

Follow us on Google Discover

While Sunderland sold Coates to Sporting Lisbon for £4m, they signed Papy Djilobodji for double the price.

It perhaps sums up Sunderland’s baffling transfer strategy that they sanctioned Sebastian Coates’ permanent move to Sporting Lisbon just a week after a pitiful 2-0 defeat at West Brom.

According to the Daily Mail, The Black Cats signed the Uruguayan international from Liverpool for £6.8 million in the summer of 2014 then sold him for just £4.25 million earlier this year – despite the fact that Coates has spent the last 12 months thriving at the heart of Sporting Lisbon’s backline, enjoying the finest form of his career.

Not only did he perform astoundingly to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet during Sporting’s unfortunate 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages, he has also been one of the most impressive defenders in Liga Nos since initially arriving on loan from the Wearside club a year ago.

In the meantime, David Moyes’ attempts to create a disciplined defensive partnership out of the erratic Lamine Kone and the error-ridden Papy Djilobodji have proven to be an inevitable uphill struggle.

And, just a reminder, Sunderland signed Djilobodji for twice as much as they sold Coates’ and, according to WhoScored, the former Chelsea flop averages half as many successful tackles per game.

And while Sunderland’s recruitment is likely to bear the brunt of the blame if the Premier League’s bottom side finally succumb to relegation this season after four years of last gasp heroics, the fans will once again have a reason to question their disinterested owner, Ellis Short.

According to The Guardian, previous Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce had no choice but to farm Coates out to Sporting last January because the club could no longer afford to pay his wages.

Yet, if Short had put his hand in his pocket to ensure Coates could be retained at the Stadium of Light, they would surely have a much greater chance of pulling off another Great Escape this season.

While Sunderland face the Championship, the Uruguayan will once again be demonstrating the remarkable improvements in his game in the Champions League.