Fleetwood Town rejected bids from Rangers and Southampton for James Hill with chairman Andy Pilley indicating the defender ‘won’t be going on the cheap’, speaking to the Cod Army website.
It’s not often scouts working on behalf of Barcelona are standing on the Highbury terraces, shivering in the sea air as Fleetwood host Burton Albion on a cold Tuesday night.
It’s a testament to Hill’s talent, then, that one of the biggest clubs in European football are racking up the air miles to see him in action.
According to The Mirror, Barcelona made the near 2,000 mile trip from Catalonia to England’s West coast, two weeks before Hill was handed his maiden call up for the Three Lions’ U21 side.
The Daily Record believe that Rangers are interested too, having seen a bid rejected for the 19-year-old centre-half.
Premier League rivals Southampton and Burnley received a similar response.
Liverpool and Manchester United are also watching Hill closely during his breakthrough season in the third-tier.
Could James Hill be Van Bronckhorst’s first Rangers signing?
“We want to be that club that has the reputation of being the number one best in the English football league for giving players the opportunity and getting them a move to the Championship or to the Premier League,” said Pilley, suggesting that Fleetwood will not stand in hill’s way if an acceptable offer arrives.
“I’m confident we can do that.
“We’ve got some outstanding talent. We will give them game time. They can make great use of our outstanding facilities and our coaches and what success looks like is then seeing them move on.
“There’s a cluster of clubs that are very interested in both James (Hill) and Jay (Matete). What will happen is I think both of those players will move on in the not-too-distant future.
“It’s using us as a stepping stone to get to the Championship or the Premier League and that is the objective and that’s what we’re committed to achieving.”
Could Hill replace Tarkowski at Burnley?
It’s not certain to how much Fleetwood will demand for the Bristol-born Hill. The Sun claim that Burnley are prepared to offer £2 million. And with Hill out of contract next summer, that may be an offer too good to turn down.
Burnley, meanwhile, could lose both Ben Mee and James Tarkowski with the long-serving duo set to become free-agents in July.
“They definitely won’t be going on the cheap,” Pilley adds. “There has been one or two rather ridiculous offers made.
“Yes, we’ve got some outstanding players but we know their value. These are players that will go on and play regularly in the Premier League.
“We’re not daft. So please don’t insult our intelligence and bid what they’re worth. Let’s do a good deal for all parties concerned.”
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