Clubs 'nowhere near' matching Cobblers' valuation of 'Premier League quality' Goode

Keith Curle has backed Charlie Goode to play in the Premier League and says clubs currently interested in Town's captain are 'nowhere near' matching his price tag.

Curle revealed earlier on Thursday that Cobblers have received 'a couple of bids' for the centre-back, while Goode himself admitted he is 'aware' of speculation surrounding his future.

However, it seems any club interested in buying the 25-year-old this summer are well short of Northampton's valuation.

"The message is that we don't need to sell," said Curle. "Charlie came here as a development project and very quickly he's bought into us and from our side of it, we've done everything that we promised Charlie.

"We've given him a platform to perform, we've given him the armband and we've monitored his development. He's on the right course but so are we because we want to get into the Championship.

"To get into the Championship and to compete at the top end of League One, you need good players and Charlie is a good player.

"Every player within the industry has a price and our price is nowhere near being matched by the clubs that have inquired. It's got to be right for Charlie, it's got to be right for the club and it's got to be right for me."

Goode has been linked to several clubs in the Championship, but Curle feels he's capable of playing even higher.

"Before we recruited Charlie, in my mind I thought he could play Championship football with his attributes," he added. "Now I've worked with him and monitored his progression, the lad can play Premier League football - he wouldn't look out of place in a top division team.

"Those are the type of players we're looking for. Some players we've brought in for the here and now, others are brought in for the future and Charlie was one of those. The attention and the interest he's getting is fully justified because of the level of his performances."