Killiefc.com can exclusively reveal today that the hottest property in Scottish football, Steven 'Kid Goals' Naismith has been the subject of a transfer bid by a top English club. The newly promoted side has more than trebled the miserly amount offered by penny pinching second placed SPL side Rangers and are willing to part with in excess of £1.4m for the wonder kid. Naismith has had a fantastic season, scoring nineteen goals and winning another two national Young Player of the Year awards, and that has attracted the attention of some of Europe's big guns, including an approach from Wenger's Arsenal.
Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston, who laughed off interest from the also-ran Rangers camp, said: "We are now nearing the kind of figures which we would consider to be a starting point for negotiations." And continued "We have no wish to sell our best players as financially we are starting to turn the corner, but in this game every player has his price and we be doing the fans a disservice not to consider the options should the price be right. As well as considering the financial wellbeing of the club and Steven's future, it is vitally important to keep the fans happy, as they are the lifeblood of the club, they can rest assured we will not be selling them short. My preference would be to see Steven stay at Rugby Park on improved terms and I look forward to discussing that with him on his return from international duty."
Naismith, who hails from Stewarton, is keen to stay in the area to be near his family, and would see a move to Rangers as the ideal stepping-stone for a transfer to the English Premiership. A few seasons of European football, should the Glasgow club's fortunes improve, would be valuable experience for the youngster, and stand him in good stead to go south of the border to face the world's elite. Some might say that a season or two more at Kilmarnock, Scotland's oldest and finest professional club, would be of more benefit to Naismith, given their track record as a top quality breeding ground for young talent...but in the end it will be the money men who make the decision, like they always do.