The Frenchman looks set for Crystal Palace after turning down a move to Sunderland earlier in the season.
Yann M’Vila might not have lived up to his initial promise and become the midfield lynchpin of one of Europe’s top sides, but he certainly contributed quite substantially to the 2015/16 Premier League season.
Without his dynamic, powerful performances that gave Sunderland some much needed backbone, the Black Cats may have ran out of lives at last.
Therefore, a report in the Telegraph that Sam Allardyce, M’Vila’s manager at the Stadium of Light, is preparing an £11 million bid to bring him back to the Premier League makes perfect sense.
M’Vila’s career has been dogged by reported attitude problems but, in his single season on Wearside, he was a model professional under Allardyce. And this is a manager whose teams pride themselves on discipline.
Therefore, it makes David Moyes’ explanation as to why the Frenchman – currently plying his trade in Russia with Rubin Kazan – did not return to Sunderland this season all the more surprising.
“He’s a very good player but I only want players here who want to come,” Moyes said in quotes reported by Goal earlier in the campaign.
“We want people who are going to come here and fight. We’re in a difficult position. We’re trying to get players here who will want to be here for a long time.
“Yann showed that he didn’t want to be here.”
Allardyce obviously thinks differently. Palace are without question embroiled in a relegation battle, currently level on points with Hull City in 18th place.
And, on last season’s evidence, he can coax the bubbling brilliance out of M’Vila, a player who should have achieved more but, at just 26, has plenty of years left to prove himself.
If he did not want to join Moyes’ relegation scrap but is more than happy to sign for the team two places and one point above them, what does that say about Sunderland? What does that say about the impact of Allardyce?
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