Sunderland secure services of Sebastian Coates on permanent deal

Sunderland have completed the permanent signing of Liverpool centre back Sebastian Coates, with the Uruguay international defender signing a four-year deal after a £2m move from Anfield, having spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats boss Dick Advocaat was keen to secure the services of Coates, who helped Sunderland avoid Premier League relegation last term with his displays in the heart of defence during a successful season-long loan stint.

#SAFC are delighted to confirm the signing of @SebastianCoates from @LFC on a four-year deal. #hawaythelads pic.twitter.com/4S6A5eeMfI

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 1, 2015

With Advocaat returning to the helm on Wearside, 24-year-old Uruguay defender Coates was an obvious choice to bolster his rear guard ranks for next term, as the club look to avoid yet another battle to beat the drop (2/1 with Coral to go down).

Former Anfield centre back became surplus to requirements on the red half of Merseyside under Brendan Rodgers, despite showing great promise upon his arrival in 2011 from Uruguayan outfit Nacional.

In the same year as his switch to Liverpool, Coates had enjoyed a superb Copa America campaign, having been voted as the best young player of the tournament, helping Uruguay go all the way and claim another trophy triumph.

Although, fortunes didn’t continue this summer, as Coates and his fellow international teammates suffered a quarter-final exit at the hands of this year’s hosts Chile, who are 11/8 second favourites to lift their first ever South American crown.

It was compatriot coach Gus Poyet who originally brought Coates to the Stadium of Light for the 2014/15 campaign, before the former Black Cats boss was given his marching orders after a run of poor results. Advocaat’s arrival as temporary manager saw the Uruguayan centre back become a more pivotal part of Sunderland’s under-fire backline, though, having been surprisingly overlooked by Poyet during his reign.

Coates played in every minute of the Wearside club’s crucial five-game unbeaten run, including a 2-1 win over Southampton, a 2-0 triumph against Everton and a goalless draw with Arsenal, which ultimately spared them a daunting drop down divisions, and earning himself a permanent deal at the Stadium of Light in the process.