Sunderland saw a transfer deal for Armand Lauriente unravel at the last moment earlier this month

Sassuolo winger Armand Lauriente looks set to seal a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the aftermath of a proposed transfer to Sunderland collapsing earlier this month, according to reports.

The Frenchman had looked all set to sign for the Black Cats, and even travelled to Portugal with view to linking up with Regis Le Bris’ squad during a pre-season training camp. But a disagreement over personal terms ultimately derailed the switch at the eleventh hour, causing Lauriente and his entourage to return to Italy.

And with the prospect of Sunderland rekindling any kind of interest in the attacker seemingly out of the question, it would now appear that he is closing in on a high profile move to Istanbul.

What has been said about Fenerbahce’s move for one-time Sunderland transfer target Armand Lauriente?

According to Sabah Sports, as relayed by A Spor, Lauriente’s transfer to Fenerbahce is now imminent, with an agreement in place and nothing left to finalise but an official announcement.

An excerpt from the Turkish outlet reads: “Fenerbahçe stepped in and sealed the deal after Armand Lauriente’s move to Sunderland fell through. An agreement has been reached with the French star and his club, Sassuolo. Only the announcement of the transfer remains.”

A previous report from Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio had also suggested that Jose Mourinho’s side were in “pole position” to sign the 26-year-old, despite rival interest from the likes of Como, Torino, Parma, and Cagliari.

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Sassuolo chief takes aim at Armand Lauriente agent after collapsed Sunderland transfer

Elsewhere, Sassuolo general director Giovanni Carnevali has suggested that Armand Lauriente’s agent was predominantly to blame for the winger’s anticipated move to Sunderland falling through.

In the aftermath of the debacle, Carnevali shared his view on the role that Lauriente’s representatives played in the move collapsing during an interview with Sky Italia, as relayed by SassuoloNews, stating: “There are difficulties in this transfer market, many of them, not in the choices and objectives, but in the negotiations. As a football system, we deal with many agents, especially foreign ones. You might close a deal with a club and then have to buy the player from the agent.

“That’s not good for football. He [Lauriente] deserves attention from the management. His sale could have been important for investment, but this doesn’t jeopardise our objectives, so we’re continuing what we’re doing. We need to improve the team in various areas.”

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