FC Lorient vice-president Alex Hayes has today told French newspaper Le Telegramme that Lamine Kone’s proposed move to Sunderland has been cancelled.

“It’s quite outrageous!” Exclaimed Hayes, speaking after the team’s training session on Thursday. “We gave Sunderland our consent last Tuesday, Lamine left the next day to have contract talks, but the player warned us there were problems in negotiating his contract.

“Because of the holidays it dragged out until Monday. They tried to change the pre-agreed deal. Lamine called me to ask if he could return to Lorient and I told him with great pleasure.”

Hayes, is far from appreciative of Sunderland’s behaviour, annoyed that they lost one of their best defenders for the cup game against Tours and for this weekend’s fixture against Rennes.

With the deal off it means that Lindsay Rose will not join Les Merlus on loan from Olympique Lyonnais. Lorient sit eighth in Ligue 1, just one point behind Rennes this weekend.

Kone has been a main part of their success this season, and although the club will be happy to see him return, they are clearly not happy with the conduct of the Black Cats.

Currently 19^th in the Premier League, Sunderland are set to finalise the deal to sign fellow centre-back Jan Kirchhoff from Bayern Munich in the coming days.