Sunderland, Middlesbrough and QPR would have to pay more than £500,000 for Charlie Goode with Northampton Town chairman Kelvin Thomas demanding a ‘significant fee’, while speaking to the Cobblers’ official website.
Northampton’s watertight back line provided the platform for their play-off success this season, with Keith Curle’s side sealing promotion after battering Exeter 4-0 at Wembley.
But their preparations for life in League One have not exactly gone to plan so far.
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David Cornell, arguably the best goalkeeper in the fourth tier in 2019/20, has already left Sixfields with his contract expiring.
And Goode, a Watford-born centre-half, could be about to follow in his footsteps.
Queens Park Rangers believe the 24-year-old could solve Mark Warburton’s defensive problems, according to West London Sport, while Brentford and Sunderland are also interested (Northampton Chronicle).
“I have spoken to Charlie about it before, and I think the interest has ramped up,” chairman Thomas admits
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“When Charlie came into the club, Keith (Curle) spoke to him about being captain and agreed with him that if he came in and did well then we certainly wouldn’t stand in his way if a Championship or Premier League-type big club came in for him.
“We live by what we said, but it is going to take a significant fee for that to happen, and that was always the agreement, that it would always take a fee.
“I am not sure what the club record is (£500,000 for goalkeeper Bunn), but I am sure that any type of deal that we would be looking for would be a club record deal, but there is nothing on paper at the moment.
Thomas adds that Northampton want a club-record fee, meaning the ex-Fulham youngster will cost more than £500,000.
Interestingly, the Northern Echo claim that Middlesbrough have made a bid for Goode with their offer standing, coincidentally, at £500,000.
His giant 6ft 4ins frame should make him the perfect fit for Neil Warnock, an old-school tactician who prides himself upon a watertight defence and strength at set-pieces.
Ryan Shotton and Daniel Ayala have left the Riverside this summer, leaving a gaping hole in an already error-prone back line.
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