West Ham are prepared to increase their offer for Jermain Defoe to £7million after Sunderland rejected their latest proposal.
The Sunderland striker and captain is wanted by his former club who have made overtures in recent weeks to take him back to London.
However, Defoe will have to ask for a transfer before Sunderland even consider letting him go and even then David Moyes, who branded Defoe as 'priceless', may still choose to block it.
Defoe is a big crowd favourite at the Stadium of light but is understood to have a release clause that allows him to leave at the end of the season should Sunderland be relegated.