A BID from Cardiff for Aylesbury football star Matt Phillips has been turned down without hesitation and labelled cheeky this week.
Blackpool have laughed off the derisory bid, believed to be around £800,000, for the flying winger while Premier League side Bolton have also been told he is not for sale.
While Cardiff made an official bid, Premier League strugglers Bolton did not even make it that far with chairman Karl Oyston making it crystal clear he will not be selling the club’s prized asset.
Phillips has been in blistering form since his loan move to Sheffield United, scoring seven goals in his last six games, following six in as many games for the Blades.
His form has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs, with scouts flocking to Bloomfield Road to watch the 20 year old in action.
But Pool, with plenty of money in the bank following their season in the top flight, are under no pressure to sell.
Manager Ian Holloway, who signed Phillips from Wycombe for £200,000 18 months ago, said: “The great thing about this club is that it is run properly and we don’t have to sell anyone, so clubs are wasting their breath if they even try to take one of ours.”
Meanwhile, Phillips himself has insisted he is ignoring the speculation and insists he just needs to keep working hard and doing what he does best.
He told the club’s official website: “I think I’ve now seen the difference of where I’ve come from in League One and League Two,” he admitted.
“I hit the ground running in the Premier League but I then had a period that I’ve recently come out of where I wasn’t performing well and things weren’t really going my way.
“People might forget the jump that I did make, even I did myself. There was always going to be a time when it would catch-up and it did, but hopefully I’ll now be a stronger person for it.
“Things have now turned again and I’m adding goals to my game so hopefully that will continue.”