COLCHESTER United are yet to receive an offer for star man Junior Tchamadeu that matches their valuation of the player, according to Robbie Cowling.
But the U’s chairman admits they will not stand in the talented teenager’s way should a ‘very reasonable’ bid be submitted for their academy product, in this summer’s transfer window.
Colchester have received interest in Tchamadeu, who was the League Two Young Player of the Season last year and was also included in the division’s Team of the Season.
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The 19-year-old right-back, who has made 90 league and cup appearances for the U’s, is said to be on the radar of Championship clubs but Colchester say they are ‘relaxed’ about the situation.
Mr Cowling, speaking at the U’s Open Day, said: “There’s always a chance of departures and I think it’s well publicised that there’s interest in one of our players in particular.
“As it stands at the moment, there are clubs that are showing an interest in Junior and as it stands at the moment, they have not offered us enough money for us to want to part with Junior.
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“However, you have to look at it from Junior’s point of view as well and we have to consider that if an offer does come in that is very reasonable, we would not want to stand in his way, going forward.
“It’s quite right that all of the players at Colchester United are ambitious and they want to move on in the game and Junior’s example is no exception to that.
“At the moment, we haven’t crossed that line and we don’t know whether that will happen or not.
“We’re relaxed about it.
“He’s a young player and we’re protected in terms of what the club’s value of him is.
“We don’t want to part company (with Tchamadeu).
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“Last year, he was voted the best right-back in League Two and I think they got that vote right so we currently have the best right-back in the league.”
Meanwhile, Colchester sporting director Dmitri Halajko says any cash generated by player departures will be reinvested in bolstering the first-team squad.
Ossama Ashley quit the U’s last month to join their League Two rivals Salford City for an undisclosed fee, with the funds that have come from that sale going back into the football club.
Speaking at the U’s Open Day, Halajko said: “If any player wants to leave, we’ve always got a succession plan, a list of players who can add something to Colchester United so we’re ready to go.
“If any player leaves, we are ready to add to the squad.
“There are still areas where we’re looking to add to this current squad.
“But if people were to leave, that gives us more budget to go out there and maybe bring in more.
“We’re quite relaxed about it – some players might leave like (Ossama Ashley) but the money we got from that has gone back in and we can reinvest that money elsewhere.
“If players do go, what you can guarantee is that that money will go back into the football club and hopefully, we can use it to push us forward.”
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