Celtic are reported to have joined the chase for Blues youngster Dylan Crowe with Town said to be looking for £500,000 for the England U18 international right-back.

Yesterday, Huddersfield were reported to have had a £300,000 compensation offer for the 18-year-old rebuffed by the Blues.

Now the Daily Mail reports that Celtic are also showing interest, along with German side RB Leipzig, who were linked last summer, as were Arsenal, Manchester United, Brighton, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Benfica.

The Mail claims the Blues are holding out for £500,000 in compensation for Crowe and that the Terriers remain the frontrunners.

Crowe, who joined Town aged 12, completed his two-year academy scholarship this season but is yet to agree professional terms with Town.

If he moves on without having signed a professional contract the club would be due compensation from his new side for his years in the academy, although the Blues would receive what’s almost certain to be a lower sum based on FIFA’s training compensation formula if he moved to a club in a foreign association, such as Scotland or Germany.

Shortly before the end of the season, manager Paul Lambert said discussions were continuing between Crowe’s representatives and Town.

“He’s a young one developing at the minute so I’m pretty sure the club and his people will be talking,” he said.

When previously asked about Crowe's situation in February Lambert was critical of the player and the advice he was getting from his agent.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve played for England youth team or not, it doesn’t matter. That’s no major, major claim to fame," he said.

“If you use that for your fame, my God you’re in trouble because you’ve got miles and miles to go.

“I think that’s important for any young player, just because you train with the first team or you play in a youth level game, it’s not professional football yet. Get in the first team and play a lot of games, then it becomes reality.

“So I don’t buy into this stuff about ‘national team, youth player’. Potentially, definitely, things are there but you’re never going to achieve anything with potential, you have to produce and I think that’s important. I don’t want young kids to be big-headed or their nose goes in the air and they thing, ‘I’ve arrived’.

“You’ve not arrived until you play 10 or 15 years in the game, then you think, ‘I’ve had a decent career’.

“I don’t want that culture in the club that because you’re a youth player or you’ve trained with the first team that you think you’re a player. You’re not.”

The Blues boss added: “I think the club’s talking with him and his other people. As I say, sometimes agents think players are better than they really are or tell them what they want to hear.

“As long as I’m here I don’t want a culture where people think young players have arrived without earning the right. That’s one thing I’ll not put up with.”

Meanwhile, Peterborough United have confirmed the signing of Exeter keeper Christy Pym on a free transfer. Pym, 24, was among the keepers the Blues spoke to prior to signing Gillingham's Tomas Holy last week.

Photo: TWTD

RegencyBlue added 19:55 - May 30 This is why Evans latest idea of building a team using the Academy is doomed to fail. Bottom line is any half decent player we produce will be lured away by bigger clubs even before they get near the first team! Sir Bobby built a team from our youth side but that was over forty years ago, times have changed.
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ArnieM added 20:11 - May 30 I can't believe Town coaches / manager ha met tried to talk to Crowe. I think his agent has a lot to answer for on this one.
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agentp added 20:32 - May 30 BoroBlue 1) Because he isn't good enough. 2) Because he isn't good enough, but thinks he is.
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Saxonblue74 added 21:20 - May 30 Arniem, you've summed it all up nicely. Everything that's wrong in modern football in a nutshell here. Over inflated ego from a young player, plus an agent that sees nothing but pound signs. Not the kind of thing that an experienced manager such as PL will tolerate. Perhaps if he took a leaf out of the Dozzell/Lankester/El Mizouni book things would be different.
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Saxonblue74 added 21:22 - May 30 Regencyblue, I don't agree. Our youth are getting the opportunity, question is are they all prepared to take it?
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ohmycampo added 23:28 - May 30 If he is that disloyal, good riddance
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budgieplucker added 00:13 - May 31 Of course we want to keep the production line of good young players coming through, I have seen him a few times in the U23's mainly as a full back and whilst I appreciate he was only about 16/17 he has looked somewhat out of his depth. George Burley was marking George Best at Old Trafford at the same age. When I last saw him in the U23 semifinal against Birmingham he played right midfield and here was completely anonymous. I don't doubt the lad will have shown some talent on the training ground and in the younger age groups to get England recognition, but clearly not being well advised or showing a lack of respect for the football club in the current situation. We have a good nucleus of youngsters in and around the first team so to loose the odd delusional youngster whilst a shame is not something we should be concerned about, it opens up another place for a scholar to come through.

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itfctim added 08:32 - May 31 Strikes me that PL doesn't like his attitude. Probably a case of too much damage done on both sides for a solution to be found in house. As has been said, does seem strange that he hasn't been given a chance when RB has been a problem for years, and some shocking players have been brought in on loan to play there.
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Razor added 10:35 - May 31 Wasnt there another occasion where a young lad refused to sign for us (Lafferty?) and thought the grass was greener elsewhere----think he went to Sheff Weds? What is he doing now?
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tractorollson added 13:22 - May 31 We have always been a selling club and I think more so now we are in league one, ME will want more of his money back so this doesnt surprise me. I do feel we could be in League one for a few years
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AinsleyBlue added 13:38 - May 31 @Razor - very close! Caolan Lavery turned down a new contract with the Town and ended up joining Sheff Weds as you say, and since moved to Sheff Utd and spent last season on loan with Bury of LG2 where he scored 5 in 16 games, before being released this summer. Leant heavily on wikipedia for the lowdown, has to be said.
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Linkboy13 added 22:21 - Jun 2 I watched many youth team and under 23 games last season didn't see him turn out once didn't mind turning out for England though obviously thinks he's too good for us another player spoilt by too much money too soon.
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