Sunderland have been stunned after Connor Wickham turned down a new contract offer.
The Daily Star says Sunderland boss Gus Poyet was keen to reward him with a lucrative new package.
But he has knocked back their offer and has entered the final 12 months of the four-year deal he signed following his £8m move from Ipswich in June 2011.
Both Southampton and Leicester City are monitoring the situation and are ready to swoop if the player sticks to his guns.
