dᵻspˈaɪt tʃˈɛɹmən bˈɑːb mˈɜːɹeɪz ˈɛfɚts tə sᵻkjˈʊɹ ɐ tɹˈænsfɜː fˈiː fɚðə fˈɔːɹmɚ fɹˈɛntʃ ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl, sˈʌndɚləndz kɹˈɪplɪŋ dˈɛts, kəmbˈaɪnd wɪð lˈæsləndz pɹəmˈɪɹʃɪp wˈeɪdʒᵻz, pˌʊt mˈɜːɹeɪ ɪn ɐ wˈiːk bˈɑːɹɡɪnɪŋ pəzˈɪʃən, wɪððə ɹɪzˈʌlt ðæt lˈæsləndz wʌz ɹᵻlˈiːst fɹʌm hɪz kˈɑːntɹækt ænd dʒˈɔɪnd fɹˈɛntʃ fˈɜːst dᵻvˈɪʒən klˈʌb ˌoʊdʒˌiːsˈiː nˈaɪs æt ðə stˈɑːɹt ʌvðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː zˈiəɹoʊ fˈoːɹ sˈiːzən.
Despite chairman Bob Murray's efforts to secure a transfer fee for the former French international, Sunderland's crippling debts, combined with Laslandes' Premiership wages, put Murray in a weak bargaining position, with the result that Laslandes was released from his contract and joined French first division club OGC Nice at the start of the 2003–04 season.