Sunderland were closing in on a deal for the attacking player before pulling the plug at the 11th hour...

Sunderland's ambitious move for Sassuolo winger Armand Laurienté has collapsed in dramatic fashion, with reports in Italy suggesting agent demands scuppered the deal despite a fee being agreed and the player travelling to Portugal to join up with his prospective new teammates.

According to Foot Italia and other outlets on the continent, Sunderland were on the brink of sealing a £17.5million transfer for the French attacker, who previously worked with Régis Le Bris at Lorient. Sassuolo were prepared to let the 26-year-old leave and expected the move to be completed swiftly, particularly after Laurienté arrived at the club's pre-season base in Portugal.

Early discussions between the two clubs had been positive, with personal terms thought to have been broadly agreed at around €2.5million (£2.1million) per year on a five-year deal. But Italian sources now claim that talks broke down at the final hurdle due to disagreements involving Laurienté's representatives.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Contrary to some initial speculation, Laurienté did not fail a medical. In fact, the winger had completed all the necessary steps and was ready to join up with Sunderland’s squad for their friendly against Sporting Lisbon. However, an apparent late push for revised terms from the player’s camp saw Sunderland walk away.

Reports claim the breakdown has left Sassuolo deeply frustrated, with the player's entourage also blamed for what’s being described as an “irreparable rift” in negotiations. Laurienté is now expected to return to Italy and rejoin Fabio Grosso’s squad for pre-season training.

The collapse of the deal is a blow for Sunderland and Le Bris, who had identified Laurienté as a key attacking target following Romaine Mundle’s hamstring injury. Laurienté, who scored 18 goals last season and helped Sassuolo win promotion back to Serie A, is now likely to attract fresh interest from elsewhere.

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris spoke to The Echo after the 1-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon at Estadio Algarve on Monday night. He reflected on an encouraging performance despite the result and gave an update on the club’s transfer plans, as well as confirming the current injury situation at the club.

“Yeah, absolutely. This game was interesting at this moment of pre-season because we faced a mature, experienced team with strong references together. They are ready to play, they have the Super Cup in a week so they are ready for competition,” Le Bris said after the game.

“We faced this structure with good players inside and threats in behind. I think for the goal we conceded, it's important to make this mistake now so that we can fix the problem. We had this problem last season with the switch between man-for-man and zonal defence, so the mistake is necessary to fix this problem.

“I think in possession, our references were positive, we created many chances. It means that we have the ability to build up play, to be strong and progress through the pitch, and now the last question will be the clinical ability. We know this is going to be very important in the Premier League.”

Your next Sunderland read: 63 fantastic photos of Sunderland and Sevilla fans alongside Reinildo during pre-season clash - gallery