Sunderland have confirmed on their official website the signing of 32-year-old ex-Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboué.
Eboué is now contracted to remain at Sunderland until the end of the season; Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce described the Ivorian as a “terrific guy” who has “great experience of the Premier League”.
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This is certainly not an unreasonable claim, with Eboué boasting 150 domestic appearances for Arsenal, as well as 54 games in the Champions League, including against European giants Real Madrid and Juventus. Eboué’s connection with the north London club is such that in January he stated that he would “love to come back to Arsenal”.
The Ivorian ex-international, who made 79 appearances for Les Éléphants over 9 years, was a free agent after having been released by Galatasaray S.K. in the summer.
Despite making over 100 appearances for the Turkish club in his first three seasons, as well as winning two Süper Lig titles and the Turkish Cup, Eboué’s last year in Istanbul was an unhappy one, as he was exiled to the under-21 side for the entire season by former manager Cesare Prandelli following a falling-out with the club’s hierarchy, as well as incidences of racist abuse from Turkish fans. The right-back was released at the end of the season when his deal expired.
Eboué himself appears delighted with his move, claiming on the Sunderland website that he had been “dreaming” of a return to the Premier League, and that he is grateful to receive a “second chance”.