Earlier this week, Sporting CP president Bruno de Carvalho said the permanent transfer of Sebastian Coates from Sunderland was just “a matter of time”.
The Uruguayan defender was loaned to the Portuguese side in January 2016, and can be bought at any time for a fee of around €5m, with the deadline being the end of the season.
Asked about what the move to Sporting meant to him, the player told A Bola: “A great opportunity, in a historic and big club, in a competitive European league, with great teammates and the possibility to play the Champions League.”
Coates joined Sporting was met with a big expectation from the Portuguese press, who had daily stories speaking about the former Nacional, Liverpool and currently Sunderland owner player.
But the help from the media wasn’t really necessary, as he has proven himself to deserve a place in the team since day one.
He already has 37 appearances for the club, and it’s a puzzle to some why Sunderland couldn’t get better out of him.