10:37am Thursday 15th May 2008
By Andy Neild
MARK Hughes is adamant David Bentley will still be a Blackburn player next season - regardless of whether or not he signs a new contract.
The England midfielder continues to be linked with big-money moves away from Ewood Park this summer, with one Sunday tabloid even suggesting at the weekend that Hughes has told him: Sign a new deal or we will sell you'.
However, contrary to speculation, the Rovers boss insists he is perfectly relaxed about Bentley's contract situation, and will not pressure the 23-year-old, who still has three years left to run on his existing deal, into signing a new one.
Hughes said: "We've offered David a new contract to reward him for the season he has just had.
"If he doesn't sign it then it's not a problem, we'll just stay as we are and move forward.
"We'll probably have to put up with a lot of speculation about David's situation over the summer, but I've said it so many times now that I'm sure everyone is clear about my view on it.
"We haven't put a price on his head, and we are not going to.
"Some people in the papers are trying to say that we've actually stated a price that we'd accept, but that isn't the case - it's inaccurate.
"So we are as we were. If David doesn't want to sign, and keep with the status quo, then that's fine - we'll carry on as we were before.
"We don't have to sell."
Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to be linked with a move for Bentley, with one newspaper yesterday claiming Juande Ramos is waiting in the wings with a £15 million bid.
But Hughes insists he does not want to cash in on any of his top stars, because he is trying to assemble a team that is capable of qualifying for Europe next season.
"I need to add to the quality here, not take quality away," said the Rovers boss.
"Okay, I might be able to get a certain amount of money for any given player in the squad, but are you able to replace that quality with similar quality for the same price? It's difficult.
"I'd rather keep what I know, and keep the players that I've worked with, because they understand what I want and you don't have to start the process from a low point again, and build up to the point where you've had players with you for two or three years, which is where we are now.
"So it doesn't make sense to let players go, certainly when I don't have to."
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