Queens Park Rangers manager has ruled out the possibility of goalkeeper Seny Dieng being sold for £6m this window, as he spoke out about the 26-year-old's future.
As per The Sun, Dieng was attracting interest from Championship rivals Sheffield United, who may require a goalkeeper soon with Aaron Ramsdale's strong links to Arsenal failing to cease.
With former Rangers shot-stopper Wes Foderingham currently available as Ramsdale's understudy at Bramall Lane, Slavisa Jokanovic's side are unlikely to make a move for the QPR man unless the latter's potential move to the Emirates Stadium is pushed through.
However, it's clear the 23-year-old has been the Gunners' top goalkeeping target to challenge Bernd Leno for the number one spot, even with the current £32m valuation for his services proving to be a sticking point.
They have been tipped to spend £6m of the revenue they could generate from his sale on Seny Dieng - and The Sun's Alan Nixon believes that could be all it takes to lure the Senegalese international to South Yorkshire.
But QPR manager Mark Warburton has poured cold water on this reported valuation of one of his most prized assets at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, saying: "No one here is going cheap. I read about a price tag on Seny. Ludicrous.
"The fans need not worry. The owners will put the right price on the players.
"Every player in the world has got a value. If anyone leaves QPR it will be on the owners’ terms.
"If they leave it doesn’t matter, because they’ll leave at a price that represents great value for QPR."
The 26-year-old first arrived in west London in 2016 and after spending several spells out on loan, he made his Championship breakthrough last term, appearing in 42 second-tier games for the R's during the 2020/21 campaign.
The Verdict:
After previously dismissing Dieng's links to West Ham United in April, Warburton seems to be becoming something of a Premier League party pooper - but after proving to be such a reliable figure in between the sticks last season - who could blame him?
Considering a £32m transfer for Ramsdale is being discussed, the west London side have every right to ask for a sizeable sum for their own keeper, especially with the Senegalese shot-stopper signing a new contract last September to keep him at the club until 2024.
The 26-year-old has had to be patient but is finally reaping the rewards from that and will only generate more interest from elsewhere if he can maintain his performance levels throughout the next season or two.
A move to Sheffield United would be an attractive prospect for him under a promotion-winning manager like Slavisa Jokanovic - but QPR will also be dark horses this season after a respectable start to their campaign and a strong finish to last season.
This is why he would be best served staying put with Mark Warburton for at least another year, before attempting to go on to bigger things. He's worked hard to get to this point and waited patiently for his opportunity, now is the time to build on that.