Wolves expecting Bakary Sako speculation

Sako, who finished the season as top scorer with 13 goals and 14 assists, has a year left on his contract but Wolves will only sell to a Premier League club.

Championship title winners Leicester have been linked with the 26-year-old and head coach Jackett believes there are a couple of months of 'poker playing' ahead regarding the future of the Mali winger.

But the Wolves boss wants the explosive former St Etienne wideman to stay.

"We've talked about it without necessarily making fixed and hard and fast decisions," said Jackett.

"Premier League clubs still have a few days left.

"And do those clubs wait and we end up being in a situation with Sako of waiting for the phone to ring? That's going to be where we are.

"There's inevitable speculation every window, and I suppose that will start again.

"If he hadn't played very well this season, it wouldn't happen.

"We've heard nothing but we'd be very happy for him to stay because that would be good for the club.

"He's done very well, worked hard and contributed well.

"He has a year left on his contract, and to some degree the power is not then with the clubs.

"Some clubs see it as a good investment (to sell now), others perhaps take whatever they can get.

"That's ahead of us and is for the next couple of months.

"But the people I work for aren't necessarily going to panic and start touting him around.

"If somebody comes in with genuine interest, we'll look at it. If they don't, he's a Wolves player."

Sako has become more of a team player in his second season in English football.

But rather than any changes he has implemented, Jackett believes it's purely down to the player's attitude and him adapting to the demands of our game.

"His second year in English football was going to be better," said the boss.

"He had a very good first year here. If you look at the Championship last season he was right up there in terms of assists.

"He scored nine Championship goals from left wing and was one of the best in terms of assists.

"Now the second year in, he's shown he's got a very good attitude.

"He's kept the good things and added to what he's done through experience.

"He's got a real good character. When you speak to him he's a man.

"It's a credit to him because he's handled dropping down a league well.

"Relegation was probably no fault of his own - he was probably the player that came out of it with the most credit at the club."