As if the 2015-16 Premier League season’s not been hard enough for Sunderland already — like they’ve not won few enough points already, either — things might be about to get even worse for manager Sam Allardyce and Co.
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Shortly before the new year, Sunderland agreed a transfer fee for Lorient defender Lamine Kone. Shortly after, Kone traveled to Wearside, where he would stay for eight days while undergoing medical evaluations and negotiating personal terms ahead of completing his move to the Black Cats.
That was the plan, anyway, until Sunderland completed and announced the transfer of Bayern Munich defender Jan Kirchhoff earlier this week, effectively ending their need for Kone, so they canceled the deal. Having spent more than a week in England, Kone missed two games and hadn’t trained for three weeks due to France’s international break before returning to Lorient.
[ MORE: Saturday’s transfer rumor roundup | Friday | Thursday ]
Understandably, Lorient are not amused by how Sunderland conducted themselves during the whole ordeal and have submitted an official complaint to the French FA, which will then be forwarded on to the English FA and UEFA.
If the complaint is upheld, Sunderland could face punishment in the form of fines, transfer embargo, or, most worryingly, a deduction of points. With the club already sitting 19th in the PL table, five points from safety, any deduction of points could well seal their fate as a Championship club next season.
