---
title: "Diafra Sakho refuses to travel on pre-season tour of Austria"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2016/07/16/diafra-sakho-refuses-to-travel-on-pre-season-tour-of-austria/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Michael Oliver"
section: "West Ham News"
published: "2016-07-16T11:04:59Z"
modified: "2016-07-16T11:04:59Z"
---

# Diafra Sakho refuses to travel on pre-season tour of Austria

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho has reportedly refused to travel with the first-team squad on their pre-season tour of Austria.

According to Sky Sports, the striker has remained in England amid reports he is unhappy at the club and is seeking a move away.

> Twitter: BREAKING: Sky Sources: @whufc\_official striker Diafra Sakho refuses to travel with squad for pre-season tour to Austria. #SSNHQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ)

This has been an ongoing issue with Sakho which first surfaced the night before West Ham’s 3-3 draw at home to Arsenal when he was dealt the news he was dropped for Andy Carroll at the spearhead of the attack.

![Paul Gilham/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readwestham.com/readwestham/2016/07/462143556.jpg)

Sakho felt his dropping was unjust and took to Snapchat to relieve his stress and anger. He reportedly refused to take his place on the bench for the game and watched from home as Andy Carroll scored a hat-trick and cemented his place as the first-choice striker for the rest of the season.

The Senegalese striker then publicly apologised to Slaven Bilic for his behaviour, as well as to the rest of the coaching staff and squad and made several appearances before the end of the season, but you could sense an off-season parting of ways was coming.

Over the summer, West Ham’s very public chase of a 20 goal striker has seemingly tipped Sakho over the edge. The former FC Metz forward has handed in a transfer request and is actively seeking a move.

![Clive Mason/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readwestham.com/readwestham/2016/07/464114912.jpg)

He was omitted from the Hammers’ US tour squad due to ‘illness’ which many believed was him trying to complete a move to West Brom or Sunderland – the two most interested clubs according to reports.

West Ham are refusing to budge on their £15m asking price and now Sakho, who scored five Premier League goals last season, is taking actions into his own hands by refusing to report to first-team activities to force a move away.

Admittedly, you can understand how a player could become frustrated if his employers are this vocal about signing a player in his position that would make him expendable. But then, you’d expect a level of professionalism surrounding the situation, a level which Sakho has not met.

Not travelling to Austria might be the final straw for the Hammers. Sunderland had seen a £12m bid turned down earlier this summer, perhaps West Ham will now lower those demands to make a deal happen that much faster.