By . Craig Hope for MailOnline . Follow @CraigHope_DM . Sunderland have confirmed that defender Modibo Diakite has left the club by mutual consent. The 27-year-old joined from Lazio on a free transfer last summer but managed only seven appearances for the Black Cats. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Fiorentina. Stop start: Diakite has failed to replicate the kind of form he showed for Lazio at Sunderland . On loan: Diakite failed to impress during a spell with Fiorentina last season . After being unable to raise funds through his departure the club agreed to allow him to leave Wearside by mutual consent. He will be replaced by Liverpool’s Sebastian Coates, who is currently undergoing a medical at the Academy of Light. Elswhere, Inter Milan's Ricky Alvarez is close to joining the club on loan.
Diakite had only been at Sunderland a year after joining on a free transfer . The 27-year-old made just seven appearance for the Black Cats . Diakite spend the second half of last season on loan at Fiorentina .