A Premier League club have cancelled a transfer 'at the last minute' despite the player completing a medical and even flying to join up with his new team-mates.
Top-flight sides have already been active in the summer transfer window, with 80 incoming deals already completed by the fourth week of July.
Among the busiest clubs have been newly-promoted Sunderland, who defeated Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship play-off final.
Regis Le Bris' side have already signed six new players, including midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg and winger Simon Adingra from Brighton.
Advert
The Black Cats have followed a youth-focused transfer policy in recent years, and that has largely continued this summer albeit with experienced signings for the step-up in division.
They were set to splash out a further £17.5 million on Sassuolo winger Armand Lauriente, who smashed in 18 goals in the Italian Serie B last season.
The 26-year-old Frenchman completed a medical, and flew out to join his soon-to-be new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Portugal.
However, talkSPORT report that there was a 'late dispute over some of the aspects in the contract'.
It is unclear as to what specific elements caused the disagreement, but it appears to have been enough to cancel the transfer entirely.
The Northern Echo say that Sunderland have informed the player, his representatives and Sassuolo that the deal will no longer be happening.
The Black Cats are returning to the top flight for the first time since the 2016/17 season, when they finished bottom of the Premier League under David Moyes.
They were relegated to League One a year later, spending four consecutive seasons there before earning promotion via the play-offs in 2021.
Sunderland were in contention for the Championship play-offs during the 2023/24 campaign but, after the shock sacking of Tony Mowbray in December, their form fell apart and they lost 10 of their last 15 matches to finish 16th.
But new boss Le Bris picked them up off the canvas last summer and, armed with a host of new signings, guided Sunderland to a comfortable fourth-placed finish before their Wembley success.
Topics: Premier League, Sunderland, Football
Ryan Smart