Injury-Plagued Bournemouth Star Set to Reject Sunderland as Move Back to France Looms
Despite rumoured interest from Sunderland, Bournemouth's Ivorian attacker Max Gradel looks set to leave England and head to France.
Although initially looking set to be a major part of the Bournemouth setup upon his arrival from Saint-Etienne in 2015, the winger made just 23 Premier League appearances for the Cherries in two seasons.
The 29-year old's game time on the south coast has been severely hampered by a cruciate ligament injury, he suffered within a month of his arrival at Bournemouth.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Phil Jones of Manchester United in action with Max Gradel of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on March 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Julian Finney/GettyImages
Despite strong interest from Sunderland and a potential reunion with manager Simon Grayson - under whom he played at Leeds United - on the cards, it is reported in the Sun that Gradel now wants to leave England for France.
Both Nantes and Toulouse have emerged as strong possibilities to sign the winger. Both would see Gradel return to Ligue 1, where he previously played in France's top flight from 2011 to 2015 for Saint-Étienne.
The revelation that the winger wishes to head to France will likely come as a blow to Sunderland manager Grayson, who had made the Ivory Coast international one of his key targets for his new club.
