Friday 19 August 2016 15:44, UK
Sunderland defender Lamine Kone has turned down the club's offer of a new contract.
Kone, who has impressed since joining Sunderland from Lorient midway through last season, was the subject of an £18m bid from Everton earlier this month.
The Black Cats are keen to keep the 27-year-old on Wearside, though, and had offered him a new deal, which he has now snubbed.
Sunderland manager David Moyes also revealed the Ivory Coast international reported to training on Friday with a bad back, which will rule him out of Sunday's game against Middlesbrough, live on Sky Sports 1.
"We want to keep him. We made him a contract offer this week, which at this point in time he's refused," Moyes said in Friday's press conference.
"I hope he will still be here. He's a very good player. I don't want to lose him. I've told him that from the start.
"No [we won't go back with another offer] because I don't know if he's refused the offer, he just didn't want it. We said we'd do it at the end of the window but we brought it forward just give him the feeling of security. But he's chosen not to want it. He's six months into a four-year contract so there's no real panic.
"He's a good boy. I've enjoyed working with him. I hope he sees we want him to be there. We've got an offer from Everton and he knows that as well."
Sunderland also look set to lose Kone's fellow centre-back Younes Kaboul to Watford as he wants to be closer to his family home in London.
Moyes admitted he reluctantly accepted the deal for Kaboul, as he wanted to give Papy Djilobodji more time before putting him in the first team.
However, the Senegal international will now be in line to make his debut against Boro at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
"We got the replacement for Kaboul, which was Pape Djilobodji. I would have liked him to have got more time before we blood him, but he'll play," added Moyes.
"I am really looking forward to the game, getting to the Stadium of Light. I've not done that yet. With it being a derby it adds extra to it. You never can tell who's going to be in and around you. You have to take every game as it comes. Whether you play Middlesbrough or Manchester City, they are all difficult games."
