Terriers winning battle to keep hold of Rhodes

Let’s face it, if we all had a pound for the number of times a club or manager has said someone isn’t for sale at any price only for a deal to be done just a couple of days later then we’d all be as rich as Huddersfield Town owner Dean Hoyle.

This brinkmanship has, down the years, become an accepted part of the game as the selling club attempts to drive up the price and take advantage of any desperation on a rival’s part to land a player who they believe can make the difference in the quest for success.

The practice has, in fact, become so commonplace that there were more than a few knowing nods at the noises coming out of Huddersfield about Jordan Rhodes as the January transfer window prepared to open.

“Not for sale,” was the consensus of opinion, no matter who was doing the speaking as Hoyle, manager Lee Clark and chief executive Nigel Clibbens all fielded questions about one of the hottest properties outside the Premier League.

Hoyle, as would be expected of the man with the ultimate say due to holding the purse strings, was the most strident in his denials, telling the Yorkshire Post on New Year’s Eve: “I am sure people will try to tempt us but I will say to them what I have said to everyone in recent weeks: Jordan Rhodes is not leaving because there is no way he will be worth less next year than he is now.”

The Terriers chairman then went on to explain that Rhodes was under contract until 2015 and that there were no get-out clauses for rival clubs to exploit.

Knowing Hoyle to be a man of his word, this guarantee was enough for the Galpharm Stadium faithful.

Elsewhere in the country, however, the promises to keep hold of Rhodes were taken in the context of the modern game and seen as a case of a club merely trying to inflate the price of a player they had no chance of holding on to.

Now, though, it seems the tide has turned with Terriers manager Clark insisting that the message has finally sunk in that Rhodes is not for sale.

The Town chief said: “I think clubs have got the message. We have been respectful to those clubs who have come on to us and we have dealt with any enquiries in the right and proper way.

“But the message has been the same, ‘Thanks but no thanks’. We appreciate we might field another couple of calls before the window closes but the answer will be the same, a respectful no.

“We have the lad and his advisors on board. They know where we are coming from and Jordan is pleased with it.

“Whenever I talk to Premier League managers about any number of subjects, Jordan usually comes up in conversation. That is great and something I expect. I would be surprised if I spoke to anyone at that level and they didn’t want to talk about Jordan.

“But we are happy and comfortable as it seems clubs have got the message (about Rhodes staying at Huddersfield).”

Rhodes has netted 25 league goals in just 19 starts this season for Huddersfield to bring the Premier League scouts flocking to the Galpharm.

Tomorrow offers the rest of the country to see what all the fuss is about as Town host Brentford in a League One fixture that will kick-off at 5.20pm due to being shown live on television.

The Bees will have good reason to be wary as Rhodes netted five times on his last appearance in front of the live cameras when Town thrashed Wycombe Wanderers 6-0 on the first Friday of the month.

Such an impressive display meant there would be an inevitable increase in speculation about the Town striker moving on but Clark insists all the attention has not fazed the 21-year-old.

Huddersfield’s manager said: “Jordan is a Premier League player of the future. But what we have done is talk to the boy himself, that was the most important thing.

“He is well aware of everything that has happened and how we see it. Jordan is fine with that and, in fact, is thriving on it.

“He is not an aloof guy or anything like that. He just gets on with his job, quietly and efficiently. Even when out on the pitch this has given him a huge amount of belief.

“I know he didn’t score against Oldham but his all-round play was excellent.

“His movement and touch were outstanding. We are delighted with him.”

The fight to ward off interest in Rhodes may have dominated the headlines surrounding Town in recent weeks but, as Clark is keen to point out, the in-demand striker is far from being the only player to attract enquiries.

Clark, who has revealed Alex Smithies is making progress from a knee injury, said: “It isn’t just Jordan who we have fielded calls about.

“There are a few of my players who have been the subject of enquiries from higher clubs.

“I have a squad with good value. Two have left for big money (Anthony Pilkington and Lee Peltier) and I know there are five or six others in the squad who could fetch seven-figure fees.”