Blues boss Mick McCarthy believes left-back Tyrone Mings could eventually be worth twice the fee Crystal Palace offered for him on deadline day. The Eagles are understood to have offered £2.5 million for the 21-year-old, who has made just 11 starts and 13 sub appearances for the Blues.
"I spoke to Neil Warnock, I rang him up to wish him well and I think I took the opportunity to ask him about his players and he took the chance to ask about mine,” McCarthy said. "But I was genuinely ringing up to wish him good luck.
"He asked me then about Tyrone Mings, he said they’d had good reports and I said no, that I didn’t want to sell him.
"But as football clubs do, they still managed to put an offer in. Marcus asked me and I said no, so that makes life easy then, doesn’t it?”
He added: "What am I going to do with a shedload of money on deadline day at 11 o’clock anyway? Whatever they were offering he could be worth twice that.
"He’s 6ft 3, he’s quick, he’s good with the ball, he’s getting better in all aspects of his play.”
McCarthy believes Mings, who came on as a sub at Derby having started Town’s previous Championship games this season, has been playing within himself.
"I don’t think he’s had the greatest start to his season,” he said. "I think he’s played it a bit safe. I think he played nice and neat and maybe wanted to stay in the side and not make any mistakes and when you play like that you’re more likely to do it.
"I think you all know what I think of him. He’s been terrific since he walked in the door. And he will get better.”
Despite the early Premier League interest the Blues boss says he’ll make sure Mings remains grounded and focused: "I’ve just been asked about the two young lads, Clarkey and Teddy Bishop. Complacency? Not a chance, they’ll get a size 11 up their butt and Tyrone’s the same, and he knows that."
Shortly after the Palace bid was rejected McCarthy said Mings would be offered a new contract.
This week Bishop, Clarke and Christophe Berra signed new deals with the Blues boss particularly pleased to have secured the Scotland international until the summer of 2017.
"That’s really important. Signing new players is one thing, keeping your best players is another and is just as important. I’m really thrilled with that one,” he said.