Peterborough insist they are in no rush to sell Rangers -linked Siriki Dembele - and are willing to let him go on a free next summer.
Dembele was placed on the transfer list as contract talks on a new deal at the Championship club stalled.
Steven Gerrard is reportedly keen on a deal for the 24-year-old with several clubs from the English second tier tracking the winger.
Despite Dembele making his intentions to leave the Posh seemingly clear, director of football Barry Fry insists they don't have to sell-up having snapped him up cheap from Grimsby in 2018.
The London Road chief insists they will wait for a significant fee despite the attacker approaching the final 12 months of his deal.
Fry, who has previously name-checked the Ibrox side as long-term admirers, told Football League World: “He cost us £150,000 so we’re not going to lose a lot.
“He’s been brilliant for us over three years and we’d like him to sign a new contract.
“But who knows, I’m sure before the end of August he will have played four or five games for us and somebody might say, ‘well, he’s done it in League Two, he’s done it in League One and now he’s doing it in the Championship so let’s go and get him.’
“Now and Christmas are the only two windows left for us [to sell] but if it doesn’t suit us we will not sell, we don’t need to.”
It follows boss Darren Ferguson insisting Dembele remained part of his first-team plans despite interest from the Premiership, with Celtic also named among potential suitors.
He told the Peterborough Telegraph : “I can’t see us selling anyone before the season starts. Championship clubs have been very quiet in general and we have had no offers for Siriki, not ones that will turn our heads at least."
