Reports from Russia suggest that M’Vila has entered talks with Rubin Kazan over a new contract.
The French midfielder spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light and played a key role in Sunderland’s survival in the Premier League.
M’Vila was desperate to return and declared himself “heartbroken” after his deadline-day transfer fell through at the last minute at the end of August.
No deal could be concluded with Sunderland understood to be unhappy with an £8million-plus price tag for a player out of contract at the end of the year.
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The 26-year-old was initially excluded from the Rubin Kazan squad for the Russian Premier League season and there were hopes he would arrive in January.
However, he has since played three times for the club, most recently in the 3-1 defeat at Terek Grozny last week.
And news from a Russian website suggests player and club have opened talks over the possibility of him staying on beyond January.