Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani will not sell Chris Wood this month, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The newspaper claims that the Elland Road chief has no intention of cashing in on Wood, 25, amid strong interest from top-flight clubs.
This comes after football news site Football Insider reported that Brighton, West Brom and Burnley have all tabled formal offers for the Championship leading scorer of 2016-17.
Good move for Leeds?
No. Wood is irreplaceable. £14million is a lot of money by Leeds standards, and the kind of cash they have not received for a player since the glory days of a decade-and-a-half ago. But, where else will they find the goals to spearhead their promotion push? The Kiwi banged in 30 goals in all competitions last season, with 27 coming in the league alone. His physicality, clinical touch and ability both in the air and on the ground make him one of the outstanding players in the Championship. Unless the bids start to get really silly, Leeds must stand firm and hang tight. Without Wood, their promotion bid is over before it starts.
This Is Futbol rating: 2/10
Likely to happen?
Very possibly. Much depends on what the player himself wants. The word is that Wood is ambitious and keen to display his wares in the world’s most watched league. He has had a taste of the Premier League during his Leicester days, but he was a bit-part player back then. Under new ownership, Leeds have been active in this summer’s transfer market, without spending the big money of the likes of Wolves and Middlesbrough that make a promotion challenge probable rather than merely possible. Radrizzani has won lots of brownie points this summer after a series of popular PR moves, most notably buying back Elland Road. If he sold Wood and did not adequately replace him, the fans would lose faith. Big time.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10