Wednesday 25 October 2017 12:05, UK
Diafra Sakho has insisted that he remains determined to leave West Ham following his failed transfer Deadline Day move to Rennes.
The Senegal striker, who joined the Hammers from Metz in 2014, instigated a potential transfer to the Ligue 1 side by flying to France before completing a medical on the penultimate day of the transfer window only for the move to not materialise.
Sakho scored 12 goals in 26 matches during his opening campaign with West Ham but has struggled to kick on with the London club following extended absences on the sidelines.
"I still want to leave," Sakho told French journalist Claude Atcheba.
"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 happened to me. I spent three wonderful years at West Ham.
"Even more I learned that I was the best goal-scorers in activity in regards of all games I played. 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.
"And why not one day come back here or somewhere else but today I want to change my environment."
Sakho, who could feature for West Ham in Wednesday's Carabao Cup match against Tottenham, live on Sky Sports Football, accepts that the move ultimately fell through because the club was unable to find a suitable replacement in time before the window closed.
He added: "I just went to the medicals, to 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 they could not find a substitute.
"That's normal. After I understood and I came back here. But that didn't change my desire to leave."
Sakho, who has since been brought back into the West Ham fold under Slaven Bilic, was booed by the club's supporters at the London Stadium when he came off the bench to fire the winner against Swansea last month but did not take the criticism personally.
"The manager didn't convince me (to stay)," said Sakho. "If I don't sign somewhere else it means I have to come back to my club. And today I'm happy to be here. After, in my mind, in the way I see things, nothing has changed.
"After I have been booed during games, fans unhappy with me, that's normal. Before I came to West Ham I played for Metz. When I left Metz some fans were also unhappy but I decided to come to West Ham.
"And today If I decided to go somewhere else, it just means I want to change my environment. But I have nothing against the fans, the players or the manager, but nobody convinced me to stay."
