Leicester City are said to have upped their initial offer by £500,000.
Sheffield Wednesday have rejected a second bid from Leicester City for striker George Hirst, The Sun reports (August 2, page 46).
According to The Daily Mail, Leicester’s initial offer of £1 million was knocked back last month, and the Foxes are said to have proposed £1.5 million this time around.
George Hirst celebrates scoring for England’s Under-18s
Hirst has made just two substitute appearances for Wednesday, but impressed with 40 goals for the Owls and England at youth level last season – four of which came at this summer’s Toulon Tournament, which was won by the Three Lions as the 18-year-old finished joint top scorer.
The Sheffield-born striker, whose father is Hillsborough legend David, is out of contract at the end of the coming campaign, however, and negotiations are yet to deliver a conclusive outcome.
Nevertheless, Wednesday would not be left empty handed were Hirst to move clubs at the end of his deal, as long as the Owls were to offer him fresh terms of at least an equal amount to those he is currently on.
The boyhood Wednesdayite is also said to have interest from several of Leicester’s Premier League rivals, including Everton, who last month signed 18-year-old English winger Josh Bowler in a deal which could be worth £4.25 million – less than a year before his Queens Park Rangers contract was due to expire (Sky Sports).
Can Sheffield Wednesday keep hold of Hirst amid continued Leicester City interest?
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal
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