Sakho: This is the problem

Reports that Diafra Sakho has handed in a transfer request remain uncomfirmed but there is no doubt that he and the club are involved a tense battle of wills.

The striker – having missed the trip to the US because of a “sickness bug ” – is concerned at his immediate future with the determination of the club to bring in a big hitting front man but it’s his wages which present the real problem.

He was signed very cheaply receiving a rise after he arrived which put him on around £27.5k a week  – some way behind the majority of the first team squad.

That, coupled with the tensions which have existed since he left the training ground ahead of last season’s Arsenal game at the Boleyn, is at the bottom of what is going on.

And with both Sunderland and West Brom likely to be watching very closely from the sidelines it’s now looks certain the player will be on his way.

However, he could face a difficult few months should he have actually slapped in the request and the Irons don’t get the required fee of around £15 million.

David Sullivan and David Gold showed very clearly in their Birmingham years that they aren’t the type of men to cave into any player.

Robbie Savage went down the same route when trying to force through a move to his favoured boss, Mark Hughes at Blackburn and spent months in limbo.

Sakho may well have made his mind up that he has no future at the club given their stated transfer policy this summer and a difficult few weeks appears to lie ahead.