After the news late last week of Connor Wickham potentially signing for Crystal Palace, more transfer news quickly emerged from various media sources. Rubin Kazan’s French International defensive/central midfielder Yann M’Vila was apparently on Sunderland’s radar.
Sunderland Sign Yann M’Vila
Initially the transfer rumour seemed a strange one as all reports coming from Sunderland indicated that the club were after an attacking midfielder and a striker. Lee Cattermole is Sunderland’s main defensive midfielder and there is also Jack Rodwell who can play there if required. With this being said Dick Advocaat felt this position in the squad needed strengthening especially as Liam Bridcutt appears surplus to requirements.
This loan deal was not necessarily a straight forward one. It appears that M’Vila, who has 22 caps for his country, had agreed to join Dynamo Moscow from Rubin Kazan, however the deal was never finalised. With Moscow seemingly stalling on the deal after their Russian international Igor Denisov was taken off the transfer list, Sunderland stepped in and got their man.
M’Vila passed his medical and signed a one year loan deal
Sunderland AFC’s sporting director Lee Congerton said: “Yann is a player who is highly regarded by a number of the elite clubs across Europe, playing for his national team of France from a young age. The Premier League presents a fresh challenge for him, its one I know he is relishing and we are delighted to welcome him to the club.”
M’Vila started his professional career at Rennes playing 126 games and scoring twice. While here he had a spell as captain and was also linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool.
In January 2013 Rennes accepted a bid in the region of 12 million euros from Rubin Kazan. He has since played only 24 times. During his time at Rubin, M’Vila went on a season long loan to Inter Milan. However he played just eight times. There was an option for Inter to purchase him but in January this year the loan was terminated.
M’Vila is primarily a defensive midfielder and has been described as having a fantastic work rate and is robust in the challenge. He has also earned a reputation for his superb vision. His former manager at Rennes, Frederic Antonetti said of M’Vila “he reads the game like Makélélé, has the presence of Vieira and can pass the ball like Yaya Toure”. It isn’t all good though as another of his former managers, Guy Lacombe described him as a “loose cannon”. Sunderland supporters will definitely be hoping that they have signed the player Antonetti described.
The signing of M’Vila is a welcome one as it emerged earlier today that Leroy Fer’s move to Sunderland from Queens Park Rangers had collapsed due to the player failing a medical. The Dutch international was expected to join Sunderland on a one year loan deal for a reported £2 million with a view to a permanent deal, however he has now returned to QPR in a bid to get fit according to his agent.
