It’s hard not to consider Sebastian Coates’ sale to Sporting as a very bad deal for Sunderland.
Loaned out to the Portuguese side in January 2016, the player moved on a one-and-a-half-season deal which included a €5m buying option. His quick impact at the Lisbon club made the decision quite obvious for them, and he signed permanently from Sunderland in February.
Now, just a couple of months after the transfer, O Jogo explain how valuable the player now is.
They take claims from the Russian press to say that Zenit and Spartak Moscow are both interested in the former Sunderland defender, and would be up to pay €15m for him.
The most interesting thing is that Sporting would have no intention to sell, calling the player non negotiable. That’s why his €45m release clause is the only price they would let him go for.
This argument is often used to raise a player’s price, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Sporting get a good offer for Coates. Although €45m may sound crazy, something a little over €15m sounds a very reasonable price in the current market.
Meanwhile, at Sunderland’s headquarters, someone is probably regretting that €5m deal. A few extra million would certainly be very useful for David Moyes, or his successor, in the next transfer window.
