Man City Table Bid For Alex Youngster?

Whilst most clubs are dealing with paper talk over the future of their first team players this summer, Crewe Alexandra are facing another series of stories concerning one of their academy prospects.

The Sun and Daily Mail today say that Manchester City have made a £500,000 offer for 15 year old midfielder Dan Smith this week.

It's highly unlikely the club will even listen to the Eastlands giants, having previously fended off much larger bids for Max Clayton and Nick Powell in the past (and present - apparently).

It is however quite amazing just how on the ball these silly tabloid gossip columns can be. Smith remains a complete unknown quantity to Alex fans, and rightly so at his age, and has not even begun his 'scholarship' as of yet. It's quite something that he's already filling tabloid column inches.

For the club such links are flattering and highly promising. In a week that also sees the Alex represented in the England U-17s more than any other club - alongside Liverpool - with Clayton, Powell and Garratt out in Serbia, this just re-enforces the belief that the Academy is as strong as ever.

However, Dario would surely prefer to do without national newspapers talking about youngsters who are still a couple of years off the first team. He could no doubt also do without silly unofficial websites bringing said talk to everyone's attention....

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