West Ham manager Alan Curbishley claims his club have accepted a bid from Sunderland for Anton Ferdinand.

The 23-year-old defender is reportedly considering the offer, thought to involve a fee of approaching €10million.

Curbishley, whose team today lost 3-0 in the Barclays Premier League at Manchester City, said: "The board have accepted the bid - he's not renegotiated his contract - and the decision was taken out of my hands.

"I don't know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland - but once the club accept the bid it moves on."

Ferdinand's current contract is set to end in 2010.

Curbishley, meanwhile, is hoping to sign a defender before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

"We are thin on the ground," he said.  "If we lose another defender we will have to react to that."

On Wearside, new arrival Djibril Cisse is keen to build on his debut goal against Spurs and do enough to convince Roy Keane that he is good enough to make his loan move from Marseille permanent.

The 27-year-old former Auxerre and Liverpool striker came off the bench on Saturday to score the winner and is now intent upon re-establishing himself in the Premier League.

"I want to do my best and try to make it permanent," said the French international. "I had a few options, but I chose Sunderland because of the manager. The club has big ambitions and really good players.

"I feel like I have a point to prove because I think I can do really well in the Premier League and show people I can score goals in this division.

"The way I play my game, I think I am made for England."