Former Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has been linked with Alen Pardew’s Crystal Palace job.
He was a key member of Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland side that escaped relegation against the odds earlier this year, his displays so good that even the next manager wanted him back at the Stadium of Light.
But after their decision to pull out of a permanent deal in the dying hours of deadline day, may Yann M’Vila – linked again with Sunderland in the Sun newspaper – now have reservations about returning to the North East?
As per the player’s posts on social media (Daily Mail), M’Vila was left heartbroken as Sunderland failed to respond to his calls, with the midfielder claiming to be stranded at London’s Heathrow airport following what is, at best, a six-hour flight from Kazan.
Allardyce also endured a distressing autumn, albeit for different reasons, which could soon be put behind him if he is sworn in at Crystal Palace – as was also speculated in the Sun.
Palace, as it goes, could be in the market for central midfielders this winter, with Jordon Mutch linked way (Daily Mail) and Championship pair Dale Stephens (Sun) and Daniel Williams (Sun again) tipped to arrive.
Allardyce, though, is likely to have targets of his own should he take the reins Selhurst Park, and would anyone be at all surprised if M’Vila was one of them?
Let us not forget he is expected to become a free agent at the end of next month. The presence of Sam and a sour taste left by Sunderland could just about swing it for Crystal Palace.
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