Paul Lambert has said Premier League clubs would need to pay big money in order to tempt Ipswich Town into selling midfielder Andre Dozzell.

The 20-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at Portman Road, and he has been attracting interest from various top-flight clubs including Ipswich's bitter rivals Norwich City.

Dozzell rose through the academy ranks with the Tractor Boys and experience a breakthrough season last term, as he made 20 appearances but couldn't prevent Ipswich from dropping down to the third tier.

When asked about Premier League interest in Dozzell, Ipswich boss Lambert praised the midfielder and claimed any potential buyer would need to pay a large sum of money for his services.

"If it's a Premier League club it will be for a hell of a lot of money, but I've not heard anything like that," Lambert told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"You would have to spend a lot of money. He's a really good footballer, the lad. Really technical and a really good footballer."

The verdict

This is a strong statement from Lambert, as he is clearly determined to keep the nucleus of his squad together ahead of next season.

Dozzell can be excellent on his day as he is strong when carrying the ball and can also pick a pass from deep, but I think he was quite inconsistent at times last season.

However, he is clearly a big talent and may need to spend a season playing regular football in the third tier in order to develop his game appropriately.

He is not good enough to start for Norwich yet, so I could see him being loaned out next season if he joined the Canaries. I'm not sure this move would make sense for the midfielder at the moment, as I think he would be better off fighting for his place at Ipswich.