Rotherham United boss Paul Warne has stated that it would be ridiculous for the Millers to sell Matt Crooks to one of their Sky Bet League One rivals, during a recent interview with the Rotherham Advertiser.
The 27-year-old midfielder is a wanted man this summer and it has been reported in recent days that the Millers turned down a £400,000 bid for the player's services from Ipswich Town.
Crooks is also said to be of interest to the likes of Sunderland, Derby County, Peterborough United and Middlesbrough this summer, as the race for his signature hots up following Rotherham's relegation from the Sky Bet Championship.
However, Warne has now moved to pour cold water on the rumours that Crooks could move to one of their League One rivals as he stated the following on the matter in hand:
"We don’t want to lose our best assets, even more so not to a League One rival. That would make it ridiculous.
“However, as with everything, there is a figure where it becomes impossible not to let it happen. As far as I am aware, no one is anywhere near that figure yet.”
A player who can play in numerous positions across midfield and up front when required, Crooks is under contract at the New York Stadium until next summer and would cost a fair amount for any of the listed potential suitors.
He has played a vital role for Rotherham over the past three seasons, scoring 21 goals in 97 games for the Millers.
The Verdict
Crooks is a vital component of everything that Rotherham do on the field of play and as you can see from Warne's comments, it appears unlikely that he will be leaving this summer on the cheap.
Rotherham have a fee in mind, so it is up to the numerous clubs that are interested to stump up the money required to prise him away from Yorkshire.
I could certainly see him moving on as he is of Championship quality but equally I'm not sure how much the pandemic has affected the finances of the clubs who have targeted him.
Therefore it seems that he will be staying put with the Millers for the time being at least as they build towards next season.