Nottingham Forest could have a battle on their hands if they look to pursue front man Dion Charles.
The Reds are said to have been monitoring the Accrington Stanley forward as boss Chris Hughton looks to strengthen his attacking options - although they are not the only ones linked with a summer move.
Arch-rivals Derby County and Hull City are also credited with an interest as Charles’ 20-goal haul has caught the eye.
But Accrington boss John Coleman has been told he doesn’t need to sell star players, such as the 25-year-old, during the transfer window as the club look to build on their 11th place finish in League One.
“It couldn’t be a better time to come to Accrington,” he told the club website.
“We are starting to attract top players from top clubs. We have got a new training ground for the first time in 20 years, with a 100 year lease, so that is not going to be taken from us.
“The ground is being totally renovated. I’m getting a new office, the pitch is getting done.
“We’ve been told by the chairman that we don’t have to sell, so everything is in place for us to go forward.
“So instead of looking over our shoulders, we could be reaching for the stars.”
Charles hit his tally in 48 games for the club, and also made his debut for Northern Ireland earlier this year.
He has previously played for Southport, Halifax, Fleetwood, and AFC Fylde.
And while Stanley may not have to sell, Coleman admits sometimes the right money can be difficult to turn down - hinting at what it would cost to prise players away.
“Myself and Andy (Holt, Accrington’s owner) are on the same page and, if we think the best business sense is to sell a player for the good of the club, that’s what we will do,” he told Lancashire Telegraph. “It doesn’t matter who the player is.
“They are educated decisions, made with the interest of the club whereas in the past we had to sell to survive and that’s not the case anymore.
“That means you get the market value, the starting price for our top players now is well over a million.”
