Mansfield Want £300,000 For Baptiste

There has been much specualation about his future but Mansfield have finally revealed the price they want for Hartlepool target Alex John Baptiste.

The Stags have placed a £300,000 price tag on his head after attracting interest from teams higher up the league ladder. Chairman James Derry said ‘Simon King has just gone from Barnet to Gillingham for £200,000 and I don’t think he is anywhere near as good as Baptiste,’

‘There is the fact he has played more than 150 games for the club, is younger and more versatile than King. All those factors mean he has to be worth £300,000 in today’s market.’ Derry told the Nottingham Evening Post.

‘Realistically, I think it would have to be someone in the Championship who signs him, but I want to reiterate that we don’t want him to go.’

Crewe have already withdrawn their interest after being priced out of the market and have signed Liverpool youngster Danny O’Donnell for £100,000, their boss Dario Gradi told The Sentinel ‘Mansfield want a substantial amount of money, but we won’t sign both Danny and Baptiste,’

Also in the running with Pools is Championship sides Norwich, Hull and several other clubs in the Championship and League 1. Baptiste’s agent said ‘There is a substantial amount of interest in him from Championship and League One clubs.’

The guy looks a class act but would he come here? Other clubs in the running are in higher divisions and we can’t even guarantee him first team football.