Sam Allardyce is interested in reuniting with his former Sunderland centre-back Kone at Everton.
As impressive as Lamine Kone was when arriving in English football with Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland in January 2016, the 63-year-old signing him again at Everton would fall into the risky category.
The former Lorient defender’s form has nosedived since Allardyce departed the Stadium of Light at the end of the 2015/16 campaign – to such an extent that he is no longer a guaranteed starter for a Sunderland side near the bottom of the Championship.
Nonetheless, The Sun claims that Allardyce is still considering reuniting with Kone at Goodison Park in the New Year.
But the Northern Echo points out that Everton’s new manager wants to minimise the risk before handing the centre-back a second chance in the Premier League.
Allardyce will reportedly request detailed medical updates about Kone’s fitness, especially after Sunderland boss Chris Coleman claimed last week that the Ivorian was expected to be on the sidelines for up to three months with an ongoing knee problem.
Understandably, Allardyce will not want to spend a chunk of his January budget on a player who will not be fit to feature until the latter weeks of the season.
On the upside, however, Kone should be available at a cut-price fee with Sunderland desperate to sell in order to raise fund for their own incoming signings in 2018.
Everton were desperate to sign Kone in the summer of 2016 after he inspired Sunderland’s ‘great escape’ from relegation and even offered as much as £20 million, the Northern Echo adds.
And Allardyce is certainly right to seek assurances over Kone’s fitness as Everton need defenders as soon as possible to shore up one of the Premier League’s leakiest backlines.
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