N'Diaye Returns To Turkey On Loan

Sunderland's summer revamp continued today after the club has confirmed that Alfred N'Diaye has joined Turkish side Eskisehirspor on a season long loan. Speculation has been rife for weeks that the Frenchman was on the way out, with a return to Turkey always looking the most likely option. The news will disappoint many fans, as N'Diaye had grown in popularity as his stay wore on. After an erratic start, the 23-year old man mountain's performances became consistently impressive towards the end of a season, with his nullifying of Marouane Fellaini during the victory at home to Everton especially lauded, and many supporters would have felt that N'Diaye was one of the players Di Canio would retain for the new campaign.

The reasons behind N'Diaye's surprise departure are not exactly known, but it's possible that wages may have played a part. The French youth international was among the last of the signings made by Sunderland prior to the arrival of Di Fanti and his team; a period marked by poor negotiation skills on the part of the club, and high wages. With Cabral making an impact on the team during pre-season, and with another new midfielder expected in before the close of the transfer window, it was perhaps felt that N'Diaye's wages were too high for a player who'd spend a lot of the season on the bench.

N'Diaye made just 16 appearances for the club since arriving in January.