Sunderland's move for Lamine Kone appears to be back on after Lorient accepted a bid from the Premier League club.
The Black Cats were initially keen on sealing a £5m deal for the defender, but they have walked away from negotiations twice.
Now, though, the decision has been put in Kone's hands as the two parties have agreed on a fee.
Lorient vice-president Alex Hayes told Ouest France: "Sunderland have come back with a firm offer that we couldn't refuse. The ball is therefore in Lamine Kone's camp. He has to make his decision in the coming hours."
The North-East outfit are currently second from bottom in the league table, four points off safety.
