Crystal Palace and West Ham are set to battle for the signature of Lamine Kone during the summer. With Sunderland likely to be relegated, Kone will look to extend his stay in the top flight and therefore is likely to want to join a new club.
Sam Allardyce is a fan of the 28-year-old and brought him to Sunderland from French side Lorient during the January transfer window in 2016 and now wants to bring him to Selhurst Park.
Though Mahmadou Sakho has been impressive in the heart of the Palace defence on loan from Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s side are said to be demanding a figure of between £20-30 million to let the France international leave permanently.
Such a price may be too much for Palace to spend and they will probably have to consider alternatives. Considering that Sunderland are bound for relegation, Kone may be a viable option and Palace could able to acquire at a bargain price.
However Allardyce’s side will have to compete with West Ham as they are a club also looking to bolster their defence after what has been a disappointing season for the Hammers.
