Jamie Paterson is going nowhere insist Walsall FC
Walsall manager Dean Smith today dismissed rumours linking Jamie Paterson with Sheffield United and insisted the club are under no pressure to sell.
The Saddlers boss warned off potential bidders for the 21-year-old after the Blades were tipped to make an offer.
Paterson has hit seven goals and become a key player for the Saddlers this term, leading to speculation linking him with United.
But Smith insisted there had been no contact from Bramall Lane and added Walsall would not encourage any.
He said: "I have seen the reports. We've had no contact at all from Sheffield United. It's that time of year and there's rumours going around all the time.
"I can't really comment because we haven't had anything from Sheffield United. Even so, I can't see why we would want to sell one of our promising young players to a team in our league."
The Saddlers won 3-1 at Preston yesterday to move to 12th in League One after goals from Febian Brandy, Paul Downing and James Baxendale completed the double over the Lilywhites.
The Saddlers have won five of their last six games to sit just five points adrift of the play-offs.
And Smith admitted speculation is something youth product Paterson, who signed a two-and-a-half year deal in November 2011, will have to deal with.
He said: "The good thing for Jamie Paterson is that people are realising what a good player he is. But we are not in a position where we have to listen to offers for any of our players.
"We are in a rich vein of form and we want that to continue and the only way we can do that is by keeping our best players."
