DAVID MOYES was more than happy to scrap a pre-contract agreement with Yann M’Vila after the French midfielder told Sunderland he no longer wanted to move to Wearside.

The talented M’Vila was set to become a Black Cats player on a permanent basis in January after agreeing a three-year contract.

That was when he was due to become a free agent at the end of his lucrative deal with Rubin Kazan but he was frustrated that a full-time switch could not be brokered in the summer.

Sunderland had still indicated a willingness to sign the player in the New Year, but Moyes and chief executive Martin Bain have had a change of heart.

They are only keen to sign new players if they feel they are ready to commit wholeheartedly to the cause and Bain claims that was not the case with M’Vila so have called off the transfer.

Bain said: “I was contacted this week by Yann M'Vila's representatives, who advised that the player no longer wishes to join Sunderland.

“There was a three-and-a-half-year agreement in place, however, after discussions with the manager, we have decided not to enforce the contract. Any player that we bring to Sunderland Football Club must be wholly committed.

“M'Vila will therefore not be joining us in January and we wish him well for the future.”

Rubin are understood to have been paying in excess of £100,000-a-week to M’Vila and Sunderland were ready to commit to a sizeable chunk of that to land him.

Moyes, who was never entirely comfortable with the figures being bandied about, will now hope to be able to use the weekly wage he was due at Sunderland to bring other men in during next month’s transfer window.

M’Vila spent last season on loan in the North-East and played 37 times in helping to keep Premier League football at the Stadium of Light.

He was keen to stay beyond his loan but Sunderland refused to pay the £8m price Rubin wanted even though he was due to become a free agent after six months.

The 26-year-old was understood to have arrived in England on deadline day in the hope his wish of signing for Sunderland permanently would come true.

However, Sunderland didn’t budge and that left the 26-year-old disappointed and in a state of limbo.

Moyes has had his midfield options increase over the last couple of weeks following the return to fitness of Jan Kirchhoff and Seb Larsson. He could still look for another central midfield option, though, following confirmation M’Vila will not be joining.