COLCHESTER United received some ‘really good offers’ for their striker Samson Tovide in the summer transfer window.

U’s head coach Danny Cowley has revealed that the club had concrete interest in the talented young forward, who has been catching the eye at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Tovide has started all five of Colchester’s games in League Two so far, this season.

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The 20-year-old has now made 75 first-team appearances for the U’s since making his first-team debut for them, in 2020.

Tovide was impressive in Colchester’s draw with Bromley at the weekend and boss Cowley says the talented young forward has a huge future ahead of him.

Cowley said: “We’ve had some really good offers for Samson in the transfer window.

“We’re not going to have him forever, we know that and we’re going to enjoy him while we’ve got him.

“But what a mentality he has and he’s a great kid with an incredible future.

(Image: MATT WILKINSON)

“Our job is just to accelerate that process and that’s what we’re going to try to do.

“Samson’s so powerful and he’s such a handful.

“He played with so much character and personality against Bromley but we want him to add some goals to his game and I think we, more than him, can help him.

“I think it’s about us having a little bit more quality in wide areas but also getting some more counters away.”

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While Tovide stayed at Colchester in the summer transfer window, his team-mate and fellow academy graduate Bradley Ihionvien departed the JobServe Community Stadium.

Ihionvien left to join League One side Peterborough United on deadline day for a ‘significant’ six-figure fee, leading to the U’s signing Anthony Scully on a season-long loan from Portsmouth.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

Cowley added: “We didn’t anticipate Brad going on deadline day but it was a great deal for the club and Robbie (Cowling) negotiated really well and really hard on the club’s behalf.

“It was an overall success for the academy and we were well remunerated.

“There’s a good stake in it for the player as well and Brad’s someone with huge potential.

“It then opens up the opportunity to bring Anthony (Scully) in and as soon as we knew Bradley was going, we were really pleased that no-one was taking Anthony, because we anticipated that someone would have done.”