The club has already rejected a bid for the former England U20 international from Luton Town, and scouts from a number of clubs, including West Brom, have been tracking him all season. Manchester City caretaker boss Stuart Pearce was at the Rochdale game last Monday to monitor the 22-year-old’s progress.
Hopefully he can be persuaded to sign a contract extension until the end of 2006/07 which would keep him safe from leaving for a reduced rate next season or for nothing in 15 months time. If he doesn't look like signing a new contract, then we need to see how much we can get for him in the summer. His value would depreciate rapidly next season (if we're only being offered £100k for him now, what would we be offered with his contract up in 6 months?), although on the other hand, his goals could get us promoted, which financially would make up for the loss.
Fans who are sick of seeing talented players leave the club for peanuts (Mickey Bell, Jermaine McSporran, etc) may be comforted by a recent comment from John Gorman, in which he insisted that: "anyone who wants Nathan is going to have to put a big money bid on the table because he is such an asset to the club." Personally I think something in the region of £400-500k would be a fair price, but in reality any bid in excess of £250k is likely to be accepted by the Board. When you consider that we paid an undisclosed fee in the order of £100k to Reading for Tyson, then we are potentially looking at just £150k profit! Hopefully Gorman will be allowed to invest this money in new players, although I am concerned that it might be used to pay off some of the club’s debts.
If Tyson does leave in the summer it will jeopardize any potential promotion bid next season, as he is our only real goal-scorer, with 20 so far in this campaign. Our next highest is a defender, Roger Johnson, with 6, followed by Adam Birchall, who is no longer at the club, with 5. Even if Tyson stays, we will need to bring in some new forwards because the current bunch simply aren’t up to the task; Ian Stonebridge remains as shot-shy as a reformed hit-man (4 goals in 35 games), while Five’s pundit extraordinaire Steve Claridge is approaching his 40th year and looking a little leg-weary - the sight of him running against Rochdale was the first time I had seen a player flat out and in slow motion at one and the same time!
One solution might come in the form of Sean Devine, Wycombe’s last predator supreme before Tyson. The 32-year-old has scored 41 goals in 93 appearances for the Grecians, but confessed that he is likely to leave Exeter City when his contract finishes at the end of the season. "I spoke to the gaffer and I don't think there's anything for me after the season ends," he said. "There are a few offers in Canada which I'm looking at." Sean, forget Canada, why not return to sunny Bucks?