The forward is being pursued by several Premier League sides.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez is looking to bolster his attacking ranks, according to reports
Newcastle United have become the latest side to join the chase to sign West Ham United striker Diafra Sakho, according to the Daily Mail.
The Mail reports that the 26-year-old is attracting the attention of several Premier League teams, but Rafael Benitez is hoping to swoop in ahead of all of those sides by bringing the forward to St James’ Park.
Diafra Sakho celebrates scoring for West Ham
It appears that with a handful of clubs monitoring his situation, Sakho is destined to leave the Hammers this summer. The Mail reports that the striker has refused to travel with the team on their pre-season tour of Austria as he wants to sort out his future.
And despite the Irons rejecting a £12m bid from the Magpies’ bitter rivals Sunderland, according to the Mail, they are more than happy for the Senegal international to move on, but only once they have a replacement lined up.
Sakho is reportedly far from happy with the Hammers
Though Sakho’s second season at Upton Park was not particularly impressive, his first year demonstrated that he was more than capable of scoring goals at the highest level as he bagged 10 strikes in 23 league appearances.
While Newcastle are facing a tricky battle trying to convince Sakho to ignore top flight interest to join them, the project that Benitez is pitching has already tempted Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle to drop down a division this summer, and the lure of first-team football may be enough to persuade the Hammers forward to do exactly the same.

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