Olympique Lyonnais defender John Mensah was reportedly on the hit list of Sunderland, and his agent, Fabien Piveteau, now claims that the Ghana international will sign on the dotted line with the Black Cats come Monday.

"The deal is 95 per cent completed now, and it will go through on Monday, I think," Piveteau is quoted in The Shields Gazette as saying.

"The date of when it will be announced will depend on when he gets his visa, but it is close now.

The agent declared that Mensah had always dreamed of playing in the Premier League, and was impressed with the Black Cats.

"It is John's dream to play in England, and he has been very impressed with [manager] Steve Bruce, with [assistant manager] Eric Black, and with Sunderland Football Club," the representative said.

"He already has a good relationship with Steve and with Eric, who knows the French game well and speaks fluent French."

The player's representative was loose lipped when questioned regarding the transfer, and explained the details of the move.

"The deal is for one year, with an option to sign [permanently] at the end of that year," he said.

"It is a good move for John because Sunderland are a big club with ambition."