SAM ALLARDYCE was unable to add further to Sunderland’s squad for the relegation run-in, but he did give the go-ahead for two more players to leave before the 11pm transfer deadline.

After entering the final six months of his contract on Wearside, Steven Fletcher flew to France after training yesterday morning to complete a loan move until the end of the season to Marseille.

The £12m signing has effectively left the Black Cats early given he will become a free agent in the summer and he hopes to prove his worth in Ligue 1 where he will join up with Newcastle flops Remy Cabella and Florian Thauvin.

“There were a number of French speaking players at Sunderland and they have all had nice things to say about Marseille,” said Fletcher after he was paraded in front of the cameras by the south of France club.

The 28-year-old has struggled to hit top gear on a consistent basis since joining Sunderland in a £12m move from Wolves in August 2012. He scored just 23 goals in 108 appearances.

And he was followed out of Sunderland, who play Manchester City at the Stadium of Light tonight, on deadline day by team-mate Jordi Gomez.

The 30-year-old midfielder, who has played just five times this season, spent the day at Blackburn discussing personal terms and undergoing a medical before completing a loan until the end of the campaign.

Gomez joined Danny Graham at Ewood Park and the pair will be in line to face Middlesbrough at the Riverside this Saturday, when Jordan Rhodes is set to make his Boro debut against his former club.

Those were the only two deals concluded by Sunderland on deadline day despite Allardyce weighing up a number of possible targets which came to nothing.

But he was satisfied with his business earlier in the window, which saw Tunisian attacker Wahbi Khazri become the fifth and final signing of 2016 when he moved from Bordeaux on Saturday for £9m.

Dame N’Doye, Lamine Kone, Steve Harper and Jan Kirchhoff have all moved to boost Sunderland’s fight to beat the drop, while both Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe have remained with the club despite interest from home and abroad in the attacking duo.