MOTHERWELL coach Jens-Berthel Askou has moved to quash growing speculation over star forward Tawanda Maswanhise, insisting the club has no intention of selling the 23-year-old during the January transfer window.
Maswanhise has become the hottest property in the Scottish Premiership after a blistering run of form, netting 17 goals in 34 appearances for the Steelmen this season.
His remarkable form has reportedly drawn interest from both Celtic and Rangers.
Despite the interest, Askou was blunt when addressing the rumours following Maswanhise’s latest goal-scoring heroics in Saturday’s 4-0 demolition of Kilmarnock.
“There’s been a lot of concrete rumours about Tawanda and a lot of concrete speculation and guessing,” Askou said.
“But we are in no negotiations with anyone regarding any of our top players, and we are not selling any of our top players this window.”
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The speedy winger’s stock continued to rise; his fine finish into the bottom corner against Killie marked his fifth successive game with a goal.
The strike came on the stroke of half-time, further justifying why Celtic boss Martin O’Neill and coach Mark Fotheringham were spotted scouting him last week following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
While his talent was on full display, the afternoon wasn’t without its tensions.
Maswanhise appeared visibly frustrated when he was substituted on the hour mark, depriving him of a chance to add to his impressive tally.
Askou was quick to downplay the player’s disgruntled reaction, likening it to a child reluctant to go to bed.
“The transfer talk is mainly in the media and not in this building, so he is focused
on what he has to do here, and that is to be successful. He is very effective and he is doing really well.
“He wanted to play another half an hour today; it’s like telling your son to go to bed. You could see he wanted to stay on, but we are looking after him because we’re in a big run of games. He wants to play and he wants to score goals and that is the important thing.”
While Fir Park supporters can breathe a sigh of relief for now, Askou acknowledged that retaining a talent like Maswanhise indefinitely is unrealistic.
“We can’t keep Tawanda forever, and we shouldn’t keep him forever,” Askou admitted. "But there’s no plan for any of our players to be moving on now . . . everyone is really committed and excited about what we’re doing."
With the transfer window entering its final week, the resolve of the Motherwell board may yet be tested if a massive bid arrives from Celtic, Rangers, or elsewhere.
For now, however, the message is clear: Maswanhise is staying put.