West Ham United have had a £6 million bid rejected by Sunderland for striker Jermain Defoe, sources close to both clubs have told ESPN FC.
West Ham are looking to bolster their attacking options and have targeted the striker, who used to play for the club between 1999-2004.
Slaven Bilic's side have struggled for goals this season, and currently find themselves in 13th spot in the Premier League table.
The summer loan signings of Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri have not been in good form since joining the club, while Andy Carroll has just recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines and Diafra Sakho is out for several more weeks after picking up another injury just two games into his comeback from a long-term back problem.