Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe has rubbished reports saying Derby County are among several Championship clubs wanting to sign Luke Jephcott, Plymouth Herald report.
The 20-year-old striker has netted 18 League One goals this season.
Jephcott is attracting plenty of interest, with Lowe telling reporters back in December how the free scoring striker was one of the hottest properties in the county.
The Sun claimed this week how Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City are in for him ahead of the summer with the latter recently sending scouts to watch him.
But Lowe has since rubbished those reports when speaking to the Plymouth Herald.
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“I will tell you straight now, there has been no head of recruitment from Stoke at our games – fact – because they can’t get in unless we let them in. I would like to think Wayne Rooney would speak to Neil Dewsnip if he was interested in Luke Jephcott. He hasn’t rang him. So to answer your question, it’s a load of bull, whoever it is coming from,” Lowe explained.
Lowe has previously valued Jephcott at the £3.5 million mark.
But should he continue his excellent scoring form amid new transfer regulations regarding work permits, then there is every chance he could be valued higher this summer.
Sky Sports claimed Brentford signed Ivan Toney from Peterborough United for a fee rising to £10 million. Plymouth may now view that deal as a benchmark.
Derby, meanwhile, will surely target a new striker in the summer.
Both Colin Kazim-Richards and Martyn Waghorn are out of contract in 2021, while Jack Marriott is out of favour and Lee Gregory will return to Stoke after his six-month loan deal.
Jephcott has an abundance of potential. Aside from his evident scoring ability, the 5ft 10inch striker also likes to get involved by dropping deeper and linking play.
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