Sunderland Set For Legal Battle Over Midfielder's Future

Ricky Alvarez is set to become one of the most controversial Sunderland transfer stories in recent years, with Italian giants Inter Milan set to take the Black Cats to court over his future. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder was initially signed for a £1 million loan fee, with the Premier League side obliged to stump up a further £7.5 million to make the deal permanent providing they survived in the top flight. Of course, Dick Advocaat's men successfully fought off relegation, but Alvarez made just 13 league appearances during the season thanks to a problematic knee injury. Sunderland argue that they can back out of the deal after Inter delayed a decision for Alvarez to undergo surgery. They claim that if he'd had the surgery sooner, he could have made a greater impact in red and white. However, on the other side of the deal, Inter believe that the deal was set in stone and that, by rights, he is now a Sunderland player and are waiting for their payment. The Italians' fall from grace continued last season, and they were counting on the Alvarez money being added to their transfer funds, though their plans have been stalled due to Sunderland's hold up. It's easy to see both sides of the story, but it's one that looks set to rumble on for weeks while FIFA examine the case to determine the outcome. If Alvarez does end up on Wearside, he can be expected to feature more than during the last campaign, during which he showed definite moments of brilliance, though was never included long enough to make a major impact.