Town boss Mick McCarthy admits it’s frustrating to lose young players, such as 16-year-old striker Charlie Brown, who TWTD revealed over the weekend has joined Chelsea, but says there’s nothing that can be done if the big clubs show an interest.
"It’s always frustrating to lose them at whatever age, at whatever stage they’re at you don’t want to lose them,” McCarthy said.
"It’s just one of those things, you can’t do anything about it. You have to just make the best deal you can, and I’m sure that’s what [owner] Marcus [Evans] will do.”
With Arsenal and Crystal Palace also having shown interest, Town are expected to receive compensation of around £500,000 for Brown with a tribunal setting the figure if the clubs are unable to come to an agreement.
Delighted to have signed for @ChelseaFC .. Big thanks to mum&dad.. and @10TenTalent .. New chapterâš½ï¸ pic.twitter.com/VMNuT4MXYi
— Charlie Brown (@charlie_brownn9) July 11, 2016
McCarthy added: "I don’t get involved in anything to do with that. You try and do the best deal you can. If they’re going to take them, it’s a fait accompli, you can’t do anything about it.”
A former Felixstowe Academy pupil, Brown broke into the U21s squad last season and was due to start as a full-time scholar at Playford Road this summer having joined the Blues as an U10.