The young Leeds United left back Charlie Taylor has been a standout performer for the Yorkshire club for over 18 months, which is impressive given the instability that they have faced.
But now under manager Garry Monk, he has stepped up yet another level, which has intensified the interest shown by Premier League clubs.
And the interest was already serious. In the summer, a whole host of clubs were trying to sign the 23-year-old, which culminated with them rejecting a £7million bid from West Ham United. Even the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with moves.
He is a left back who is very capable of moving up a level to the Premier League given his style of play. Not only can he defend well with his positioning, and tackling being spot on, but he is capable of getting forward with pace and offers a great delivery into the box.
Such is his attacking prowess that former Leeds manager Neil Redfearn even played him as a left winger, and this won’t have gone unnoticed by the Premier League elite.
However, one thing Leeds United must consider is that whilst £7million+ is a lot of money for the club, the riches on offer if they gain promotion far exceed that. If they truly have ambitions to be playing in the Premier League next year, they must keep hold onto their best players, of which Taylor is most certainly one.
But of course, these days, the players hold a lot of the power and no matter how much Leeds want to keep him, it may be that Taylor himself thinks it is time for a move. But he himself must be careful.
Many players have moved from the Championship up to Premier League level and had their progress stunted by not getting into the first team picture. It is important for a young player to be playing regular football, and given the need in the Premier League for instant success, you don’t get long to prove yourself.
This can be seen in particular by the current fate of Lewis Cook who joined Bournemouth from Leeds in the summer for a fee rising to £10million. He has found first team football very hard to come by, especially as soon after Bournemouth signed him, they brought in Jack Wilshere who has limited first team opportunities for the youngster.
With Leeds in the play-off spot, and talk of January signings to further strengthen their case, it would be sensible for Taylor to stick with the Yorkshire outfit at least until the end of the season. That way, he could find himself playing in the Premier League for the club that developed him, where he will be sure that he is going to get first team football.
Then once he has had a season in the Premier League and if he still impresses, then look for a move as his stock will have risen considerably.
So although for both club and player, the carrot dangled in front of them will probably be a tempting one, it is one they simply must avoid, as they are on course to achieving something huge after a long time.