Mark Warburton has urged Bright Osayi-Samuel to stay with Queens Park Rangers, but claims he's 'destined for the Premier League'.
The winger has developed into one of the EFL's top players since moving to West London in the summer 0f 2017 after leaving Blackpool.
With a contract that's due to expire at the end of the season Osayi-Samuel has attracted plenty of interest.
Summer interest from Belgian side Club Brugge was followed up by links to Celtic and Crystal Palace, leaving the 22-year-old with a big decision to make over his future.
Osayi-Samuel can sign a pre-contract agreement from next month, however QPR are still hopeful of getting him to pen a contract extension to stay with the club longer term.
Warburton has gone on the record expressing his desire to keep the winger and believes that there is no better place for the winger to continue to improve.
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As quoted by London News Online, Warburton said: “I say to the players: ‘Enjoy being good’. If you’re a bookie, and you enjoy going to work, you have a better end product.
"If you’re a cab driver, you enjoy going to work, you have a better end product.
"I think he’s enjoying being a very good player, simple as that.
“I said to him at the start of the season he will benefit from another season at QPR and then I think he’s destined for the Premier League.
"Hopefully with QPR, but I think he’s destined for the Premier League.
“He needs to keep developing, keep learning the game, and I think games like tonight, although frustrating for everyone, us and the supporters of course, I think you’re seeing him developing and learning.”
Warburton added: “He’s developing as a player at QPR, and I think he’s enjoying his football at QPR, so I hope very much that will continue.”
The Verdict
It's hard to see Bright Osayi-Samuel staying with QPR.
The player has all of the ability to play in the Premier League and it seems that now might be the time that he makes that move.
While Mark Warburton clearly wants him to stay, it's difficult to see the Hoops matching any offers from Europe's biggest leagues and so it would be a huge surprise to see him stay.