West Ham have rejected a £9m bid from Stoke for striker Carlton Cole.
Cole netted 10 times in the Premier League last season despite missing a large spell with a knee injury, but the Hammers have made it known every player has a price, with the exception of Scott Parker.
However, the Upton Park outfit appear to be looking for a higher offer and it is believed Potters boss Tony Pulis will return with one in the coming days.
And Stoke winger Matthew Etherington, a former Hammer, has backed Pulis’ chase of Cole.
He told The Sun: “It would be a good move for him to come here.
“Given the ideas the manager has and the way the club want to push forward, I’d definitely recommend it.
“Coley is a London boy but it wouldn’t be a problem for him living up here – just as it hasn’t been for me. I’d tell him it was the best move I could have made.”