Sunderland's Kone signs new five-year deal

REUTERS - Sunderland central defender Lamine Kone has signed a new five-year contract that will keep the Ivory Coast international at the Stadium of Light until 2021, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

Kone joined from French side FC Lorient in January and made 18 league appearances to help Sunderland avoid relegation last season.

The 27-year-old, who has featured three times in the league under manager David Moyes this season, had been linked to Everton in the British media.

"Lamine is an important player for this club and I made that clear to him from the outset," Moyes told the club's website (www.safc.com).

"He has only been playing in the Premier League since January, but in that time we have already seen what he is capable of."

Sunderland, who have one point from four games so far this season and are 19th in the 20 team league, travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

(Reporting by Ian Rodricks in Bengaluru, editing by Alan Baldwin)