Transfer fee required for Reading and Sunderland target Stoppila Sunzu

Stoppila Sunzu: Not a free agent

It will take a significant fee to prise Stoppila Sunzu away from Congolese outfit TP Mazembe, claims the club's owner.

Sunderland have been linked with the centre-back, although Reading looked to be in pole position given that the 23-year-old trained with the club last month.

But that move fell through amid confusion over Sunzu's contract when the player and his representatives insisted he was a free agent - to the shock of his club.

But TP Mazembe owner Moise Katumbi claims the impasse is over and Premier League suitors will need to pay a fee for the player - believed to be in the region of £4million.

"The matter has been resolved after we went through the contract with everyone and the player admitted his contract was still valid," said Katumbi.

"The problem is that his handlers have been lying to him so that he rebels against us. We suspect they wanted to get all his transfer fees by declaring him a free agent.

"TP Mazembe is a professional club and we will never stand in the way of our players as long as the right procedure is followed.

"If there are any clubs interested in him, we won't stop him from leaving but those clubs must talk to us."