Wolverhampton Wanderers have rejected a bid in excess of £12m from Sunderland for Steven Fletcher.
Already the Molineux club have snubbed offers of £10m and £12m as they hold out for a £15m fee for the Scot.
The 25-year-old hit 12 goals from 34 appearances last season as Wolves were relegated to the Championship. Fletcher handed in a transfer request earlier this month.
Wolves' chief executive Jez Moxey reaffirmed on the club website that "if our valuations are not met then they will remain at Wolves".
Fletcher's former club Burnley, whom he left in 2010, will be due 15% of any profit for the striker Wolves paid £7m for.
Sunderland are desperate to strengthen their strikeforce after Nicklas Bendtner returned to Arsenal after a season-long loan on Wearside and Asamoah Gyan completed a permanent move to Al Ain.
Frazier Campbell, Connor Wickham and Ji-Dong Won are the club's only recognised strikers while Stephane Sessegnon, along with Bendtner, top scored for the Black Cats last season with eight goals.