Crystal Palace find themselves in an increasingly crowded battle to sign Chester standout Sam Hughes in the summer.
The 20-year-old defender has become a star for the non-league outfit this season and has been scouted by a number of Premier League and Football League clubs.
It’s believed that Palace, along with Swansea City, Burnley, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley are all keen on the centre-back who became the club’s youngest-ever captain at 19 earlier this season.
With his contract up at the end of the season, Hughes has been offered a new deal by Chester but the expectation is that he completes a move into professional football.
Valued at £150,000, Hughes, who began the season as a fringe player at Chester, says the whole experience has been mad.
“It’s been a bit of a mad season for me. In pre-season I was getting 20 minutes here and 20 minutes there and going with some of the younger lads to places like Heswall and Marine. I was on the fringes of things but there were some injuries and I got my chance in defence and I never looked back.
“I’ve learned a lot this season and the players and the manager have been great with me. It’s been poor since the turn of the year but we have been playing with the bare bones and struggling to get by, but I’ve just tried to give my all in every single game for the club.
“I know there have been scouts there watching me, but that hasn’t added any pressure. I don’t think about stuff like that. There’s always scouts coming to games to watch various players and you can’t allow that type of thing to affect your game.”
Chester turned down a £80,000 bid from Barnsley in January for their star defender, but Hughes is unsure about what his next step in the game will be.
“Look, I don’t like talking about Chester in the past tense. I am still contracted to Chester, I am still a Chester player. This club has been good to me and who is to say that I won’t sign a new deal here and play my football here next season?
“There are clubs interested but I will go on holiday and have a bit of time to myself and try and relax and unwind a little bit. I think I need that after this season. I’ll be able to have a think about what is next and be able to make a decision when the time comes.
“But whatever happens this football club has been great for me. I’ve had the opportunity to grow and play football. To captain Chester against Tranmere was a massive moment for me, probably the proudest of my career. The club, the fans and everyone involved have been superb.”
