Sunderland have rejected £6m bid from Premiership rivals West Ham for striker English forward Jermain Defoe.
It is understood the Hammers will raise their offer for the player who began his career at the east London club.
Defoe, 34, has scored 11 goals in 21 appearances for the struggling Black Cats this season.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is keen to add a striker to his squad in January with midfielder Michail Antonio their leading Premier League scorer by some distance on eight goals.
Hopes that Simone Zaza would provide goals to boost West Ham proved wide of the mark, with the Italy international appearing to be on his way out of the club in January.
Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll have both struggled with injury, combining for only three goals, leaving the Hammers scoring at only just over a goal a game.
Sunderland have struggled even more in front of goal with Defoe providing 11 of their 19 goals in the Premier League, including two penalties against Liverpool last time out.
Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic, joining their youth team aged 14, before moving to West Ham United aged 16 and rising through the ranks.
He made his first-team debut for West Ham in 2000, and after a season-long loan spell at Bournemouth during the 2000–01 season, established himself in the West Ham line-up.
After West Ham’s relegation in 2003, a move to Tottenham in January 2004 soon followed, where Defoe played for 4 years before being sold to Portsmouth in January 2008.
He spent one season at Fratton Park before returning to Tottenham in the January 2009 transfer window.
He played for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in 2014, before returning to England in January 2015 to sign for Sunderland.
