Everton boss Sam Allardyce will need detailed medical reports on Lamine Kone before making a move for the Sunderland defender.

The former England boss managed the Ivory Coast international during his time on Wearside and had Kone playing his best football since arriving in England. And, it appears he is keen on bringing the 28-year old to Goodison Park when the window opens.

However, a big issue will be the fitness of Kone who has been ruled out since the end of October with a knee injury. Just last week Chris Coleman admitted the centre-back will be out for another two to three months, meaning Allardyce won’t be able to see him play before the window shuts.

Therefore, according to the Northern Echo, he will demand extensive medical analysis before deciding whether to make a move.

Sunderland rejected bids nearing £20m previously for Kone but they will know his value has seriously suffered since.

Given their financial situation, getting a reasonable fee for the player and freeing up his wages would be seen as a great result for the North East club.

The Verdict

Sunderland will be desperate to shift Kone but it’s hard to see why Allardyce would make a move if he could be out until February/March time. Surely it would be better to wait until the summer from their perspective?

The only positive is that Allardyce knows him from his time at the club and if he feels as though Everton are still in trouble then he might want a player in for the remainder of the season.

For Sunderland, they need to get players out to raise money for Coleman and this would work out very well if a deal could be reached.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.