Leicester City have rejected Sunderland's improved bid of £7.5m plus add-ons for striker Leonardo Ulloa.
Ulloa has made no secret of his desire to leave the Foxes this month and yesterday vowed to never play for the club again having been "betrayed" by manager Claudio Ranieri.
Leicester have been steadfast in their refusal to sell the Argentine to a Premier League rival, though, and have now turned down a third and final bid from Sunderland on deadline day.
The Black Cats' latest offer was thought to be worth in excess of £7.5m including performance-related bonuses - a substantial increase from their initial £3m approach.
However, the Premier League champions are refusing to budge despite Ulloa having made just one Premier League start for the club all season.
Ulloa joined Leicester from Brighton & Hove Albion for a then club-record fee in 2014 and has gone on to score 20 goals in 91 appearances for the Foxes.