Wolves rejected West Brom bid for Sako

Wolves turned down a £2million-plus bid from Albion for star winger Bakary Sako in the January window, it emerged today.

Sources confirmed the Baggies' bid was one of three written offers considered by the Molineux board up to deadline day.

Queens Park Rangers and a foreign club were the Baggies' rival bidders for the 26-year-old, but the decision to reject the offers underlined Wolves' resolve to keep the player.

He appears to represent their biggest hope of reaching the Premier League and head coach Kenny Jackett today praised the board for resisting the sale of Sako, who is out of contract in the summer.

Jackett said: "The decision from the board to keep Sako we feel is an excellent one.

"We did have some very serious interest in Bakary and the board of directors were transparent with the player and talked to him as they always have done.

"It's great for us to keep him and we're really pleased with that and he will be giving his all for Wolves for the rest of the season."

It's understood Wolves had lined up several targets if Sako left including Aston Villa's Jack Grealish and Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, who joined Derby County.

But having decided to stay, Sako insists he is fully focused on achieving his "dream" with Wolves of Premier League football.

And the Mali international is set to return to the starting line-up for tomorrow's visit of Reading.

He said: "It's good to know in my head where I'm going to be for the rest of the season and I'm not thinking about anything apart from trying to get promoted with Wolves.

"Getting the team promoted would be a dream. I haven't spoken about anything to do with my future – it's other people talking, and I have my agent to deal with that sort of thing.

"I stayed here when we went down to League One and we got promoted straight back and I said at the start of the season we had a chance again this year.

"We're all working hard to try to achieve this. Whatever happens in the future, this is a big club in my heart."

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