Birmingham City want to hand George Hall his first professional contract amid interest from several Premier League clubs, a report from The Daily Mail has claimed.

The 17-year-old midfielder joined the Blues back in 2012, and has worked his way through the youth ranks with the club.

Hall is a regular for Birmingham's Under 18s side, and has also featured for the club at Under 23s level this season.

That progress also saw Hall make his debut for England Under 18s earlier this month, and it seems that is now earning him plenty of attention from the Premier League.

According to this latest update, top-flight quartet Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and Brighton have all shown an interest recently.

However, it is thought that Birmingham will hold out for a considerable offer for the teenager, and are planning to hand him a professional contract in a bid to hold off that interest.

It is also understood that Hall is confident he has a pathway to senior football with Birmingham, which could put the Blues in a strong position to secure a deal for the midfielder.

The Verdict

This could be quite a statement of intent for Birmingham if they can secure a contract for Hall.

Given the level he is playing at already, and the rapid progress he has seemingly made, it is perhaps no surprise that this level of interest is starting to emerge in the teenager.

Indeed, the chance to play for a top-flight club, which could be lucrative in many ways, will no doubt also be appealing for Hall, so you could understand any potential interest he has in these links.

As a result, it would be an impressive piece of business from Birmingham to keep him, and one that shows the attraction they still have to players, among competition from elsewhere.