Nobody wants to see Alex Scott leave Bristol City, although we'll have to accept reality and admit it's going to happen sooner rather than later.
Although unlikely, there's still that slim chance he could leave before the window closes on September 1, the rogue speculation linking him with Manchester United is just another quiet reminder that the giants are circling.
While Bristol Live understands no enquiry have been made by United to Bristol City, they are just another top club to add to the list of potential suitors when the offers inevitably arrive. Tottenham, Leicester, Leeds and Everton are also lurking and it would be no surprise if a whole host of clubs across the Premier League and Europe are paying close attention.
Ralph Milne was the last player to leave City for the Red Devils in 1988 with Sir Alex Ferguson forking out £170,000 for the midfielder. It didn't go entirely to plan with Fergie telling a League Managers Association dinner in 2009: "My worst signing? Ralph Milne. I only paid £170,000 but I still get condemned for it."
Quite a statement from Ferguson considering he brought in 105 players during his tenure at Old Trafford but at least the bar isn't overly high for Scott if he was to follow in his footsteps.
The transfer speculation is one that can't be particularly ignored, even if one did want to turn a blind eye to it. Ignorance is bliss after all.
The overriding question is when City do decide to cash in on Scott, how much money can they realistically get for his signature? A figure of £20million has been bounded about which is a big statement to the Premier League clubs that the Robins are entirely serious about keeping their best players at the club.
Although two different players at different clubs and perhaps different stages of their development, the deal for Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa to Chelsea can be seen as some sort of indicator.
The players have three things in common. They are both central midfielders, their talents are undeniable and they both lifted the England Under-19 Euros Championship this summer.
Chukwuemeka and Scott were two players who were regarded as standout players from the Three Lions setup from their impact on the tournament. Just a month on from their success and the Villa youngster is joining Chelsea in a deal worth £15m with add-ons to take the transfer up to £20m.
Now there are a few stipulations to this move and here's the difference between Chukwuemeka and Scott. The player had just a year left on his contract at Villa having refused to extend his stay in the Midlands and therefore forcing Steven Gerrard's hand.
The 18-year-old also only featured in 295 minutes of Premier League action last season so while there's no questioning his quality and potential ability, he's still very inexperienced when it comes to playing senior football.
Scott, on the other hand, already has a full Championship campaign under his belt and proved he can perform consistently well on a weekly basis standing up to the rigours of senior football. There's also the extra nugget that he is contracted to Ashton Gate until 2025 which will significantly increase his value.
Based on that alone, surely Scott's value is not deemed anything less than the £20m fee Chelsea are prepared to pay for Chukwuemeka.
Of course, you have to look at it from a business perspective too. City need cash and selling Scott for a healthy sum would help balance the books and allow the manager the flexibility of reinvesting in his side across the pitch with numerous additions.
Then there's the deal for Hull youngster Keane Lewis-Potter to join Premier League side Brentford for a reported £16m fee which can also rise to £20m.
At the age of 21, forward Lewis-Potter played 122 times for the Tigers before earning the switch to the Premier League having proved his talent over a longer duration than Scott. Again, it shows what the going rate is for a young English midfielder in the current market.
The more interest shown in Scott the higher the eventual bid and if City are pricing the midfielder at £20m, recent deals suggest the Robins must stand firm in their valuation.
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