Sunderland target wants assurances over West Ham future - agent

Ex-Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is keen for a reunion with Sakho at Sunderland, with Player of the Year Jermain Defoe currently the only striker on the Black Cats' books.

Sunderland submitted a bid to West Ham earlier this month and are expected to return with an improved offer for Sakho, who is valued around the £15million mark by the London club

West Ham are eager to boost their attacking ranks with a big-money summer recruit and there was speculation on the Continent yesterday that they had offered £32m for Lyon's much-coveted frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

That would push Sakho down the pecking order and amidst talk that he has asked to leave the Hammers, the 26-year-old's agent, Mark McKay says the ex-Metz man admits a summer move is a possibility.

"He's had conversations with people at West Ham, he wants to know where his future lies," McKay told Sky Sports News.

"He wants to start pre-season where he's going to be playing

"West Ham, we all know, are looking for that top, top striker and Diafra is a bit concerned that after they find that top striker, what is his place in the team going to be?

"If he gets those assurances from West Ham I'm sure he'll be happy to stay there, but otherwise he might be looking elsewhere.

"When you look at Diafra, I think he's a victim of the success West Ham have had.

"They're now going into the Olympic Stadium, they now want to kick on and he may just be left behind.

"He's not that star name that they're looking for maybe so we'll wait and see. It's up in the air at the moment.

"He's a West Ham player as it stands and until David Sullivan (co-chairman) and Slaven Bilic (manager) say differently that's going to remain the case."