Bradford City transfer news: Jake Young may be unsettled by talk of move to Barnsley FC or elsewhere, says Graham Alexander

For the second window in a row, the forward is in demand – including from the Bantams – and it is hurting his game-time, on the bench at Milton Keynes Dons on the opening day and out of the squad altogether for last week's 0-0 draw with Salford City. It looks like being the same again for Bromley's visit on Saturday.

Barnsley and Wigan Athletic have been linked with interest, but Alexander says no bids have been made.

"There hasn't been any," he insisted. “We've been briefed that there were potential calls happening, which didn't come through.

"He's missed the last couple of days' training with an injury but we've had no bids, no calls to us as a club, just agent talk.”

Asked if the speculation had unsettled the 23-year-old, he added: "Potentially it has, looking at it from my experience of football. It's difficult for the players to handle these scenarios but he has experience of it because it was the case in January for virtually the whole month until we got him on the pitch.

"It's a similar scenario now so he will have better experience to manage this situation but from what I see and feel, and I do get a feel for this because I do spend a lot of time around the players, I feel there's a distraction with Jake.

"We'll just see what the next 10 days bring. If I had a £1 I wouldn't know which side of the bet to put it on.

"I spoke to him numerous times on the phone when he was at Swindon (on loan, before being called back in January) and the scenario's still the same, I still feel he's a very good player that could help us win games.

"I have to take a step back from that scenario and focus on players 100 per cent focused on Bradford."

Alexander hopes to have a new loan signing available on Saturday, but will not have Callum Johnson after a setback stopped him playing in a behind-closed-doors practice game, or Vadaine Oliver due to concussion protocols.