Yann M'Vila could be set for a Premier League return in the summer, according to reports in France.
The reputable L'Equipe, via Get French Football News, report that West Ham have made a 'concrete approach' to M'Vila's current side St Etienne to bring him back to England.
The Hammers are said to be looking to bolster their defensive midfield options in the summer and have identified 28-year-old M'Vila as the ideal target - having shown his capabilities in the Premier League with Sunderland previously.
M'Vila still has three years to run on his deal at the Ligue 1 side and is said to be undecided whether he wants to move or not in the summer. He's enjoyed a fantastic return to his native France having spent time before that in Russia with Rubin Kazan.
L'Equipe's report suggests his decision could rest on the future of St Etienne head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, who brought M'Vila to the club. Gasset's contract is up in the summer and it is yet to be decided whether he will remain with Les Verts next season or not.
M'Vila is still a favourite on the terraces of the Stadium of Light after his season-long loan spell here in the 2015-16 season. A regular under Sam Allardyce, when he left for the England manager's role new boss David Moyes recognised his importance to the Black Cats side at that time and attempted to make the loan a permanent one.
However, the club refused to pay Kazan's asking price in the summer of 2016, with just six months remaining on his deal at that time.
Instead, M'Vila signed a pre-contract agreement with Sunderland that would have saw him sign in January 2017. However, from an airport on transfer deadline day that summer, M'Vila posted on Instagram describing himself as 'heartbroken'.
M'Vila never did join Sunderland permanently. By the time his Kazan contract was due to expire, Sunderland's Premier League future was looking bleak, while things changed in Kazan as their new manager set up a fledging partnership in central midfield with former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Alex Song.
As such, M'Vila notified the club that he no longer wanted the transfer and Moyes and chief executive Martin Bain agreed to tear up the pre-agreement that had been signed, saying they didn't want anyone at the club who wasn't 100% committed.
The saga didn't tarnish M'Vila's reputation on Wearside though, with most supporters appreciative by that stage of the toxic atmosphere at the Stadium of Light off the pitch, both in the dressing room and the boardroom - with the Black Cats' slide (ultimately all the way to the English third tier) well under way.
If West Ham chiefs get their wish this summer though, M'Vila might be finally plying his trade in the English top flight once more.
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