Millwall manager Gary Rowett has spoken out amid reported Rangers interest in promising young striker Abdul Abdulmalik [London News Online].
Earlier this week, the Gers, Arsenal and Swansea were all credited with interest in Abdulmalik by the Daily Mail.
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It was asserted that the 18-year-old has been offered professional terms at the Den but is keen to leave, with Swansea having an initial bid rejected.
London News Online have since reported that that bid was considered to be ‘derisory’ and Rowett has addressed the speculation surrounding the youngster.
“I know he is a player that the club have offered a new deal to,” he said. “He’s a player that we think highly of, he has done really well in his first season at U23 level. He has trained with the first-team on numerous occasions.”
“We don’t want to sell our younger players. It’s not something we want to happen, but we’re also aware that there are a lot of clubs trying to attract the best young players at other clubs – that’s just the nature of football. There are different ways to do that.
“We think he has a really good future and could challenge for our first team. It shows what good work the academy are doing. What you can’t change is sometimes a young agent trying to convince a young player that suddenly there is something better out there.
“We’ll continue to keep working hard, with all these players, to make them see their best opportunity of first-team football is here at Millwall. We’ve proved that. I would love to see Abdul stay at the club. He’s got a little bit of work to do, to take that next step.”
The Lions clearly haven’t given up hope of keeping Abdulmalik beyond this summer but they aren’t negotiating from a position of strength.
If there’s genuine interest from several other clubs who are willing to pay compensation fees, the ball is very much in the teenager’s court.
Rangers have beaten off competition to sign several exciting attacking players in recent seasons, including Nathan Young-Coombes from Chelsea and Tony Weston from Blackpool, although Young-Coombes recently returned to London, joining Brentford.
In other news, Rangers have announced an exciting expansion of a ‘world-class’ club partnership.
