Diafra Sakho has entered the final year of his contract at West Ham and it appears as if the Senegal international will leave the club at the end of the season, but he nearly left in this past transfer window.
On transfer deadline day, Sakho travelled to France to meet with Rennes and have a medical ahead of joining the Ligue 1 club before ultimately being called back by West Ham who wouldn’t sanction the deal.
YouTube: I still want to leave – Diafra Sakho
Sakho has struggled with injuries for much of his West Ham career but he believes he needs a change of environment and still wishes to leave the club.
I still want to leave, I always say it. I don’t hide it. Fans happy or not, I want to change environment. I want to see something else in regard to everything that’s happened to me.
I’ve spent three wonderful years at West Ham. I can only be happy but overall I want to change my environment to see other things and I think going to France would be good to find a challenge for my career.
When asked about the deadline day saga with Rennes, Sakho states that he believes both clubs agreed to the transfer but West Ham’s inability to find a replacement forced them to pull the plug.
I just went to the medicals, see the club, other people. I think both clubs agreed that I go to do the medicals but after maybe there was not enough time for West Ham to allow me to go because the didn’t find a replacement.
That’s normal. After I understood and I come back here. But that didn’t change my desire to leave.
The striker goes on to state that no one went out of their way to convince him to stay at West Ham, just that he had to return.
The manager didn’t convince me. I think, if I don’t sign somewhere else it means I have to come back to my club.
Today, I’m happy to be here. In my mind, the way I see things nothing has changed. I have been booed during games, fans unhappy with me, that’s normal.
I have nothing against the fans, players or manager. But nobody convinced me to stay.
