Sporting have announced they have exercised their right to make Sebastian Coates’ loan switch permanent at the end of the current campaign.
Coates, 26, has spent the last 12 months on loan with the Portuguese giants after failing to make any impression at Sunderland after joining from Liverpool in July 2015.
The Uruguay international has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league during his time at Sporting and has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal that keeps him at the club until 2022.
Not only that but any club that wants to sign the former Liverpool flop in the future can expect to be told to pay his fill €45m (£38.6m) release clause.
Coates is one of three Sporting players in the WhoScored Liga Nos Team of the Season (7.39 rating). In fact, only five players have completed more interceptions in Portugal’s top flight this season than Coates (54), while only Marcano (4) has scored more goals of any defender in the league (Coates - 3).
For more stats on Sebastian Coates, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
