From Sky Sports' website:

Sky Sports understands a number of clubs are chasing Hartlepool starlet Luke James.

Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield, Brentford and Shrewsbury are all thought to be weighing moves for the attacking midfielder this summer.

The 18-year-old, who has come through the youth ranks at Victoria Park, has previously attracted the interest of Newcastle and Celtic.

Highly-rated by his club, James made 26 league and cup appearances last term, scoring three times.

Following their relegation to League Two Hartlepool could find it difficult to keep hold of their prize asset James.

Sounds like they had a list of the 92 clubs and stuck five pins in. Shrewsbury, really?! Could they afford him? Can understand Brentford after he caught the eye in the live game at the end of the season.

It would have to be a huge offer for pools to cash in. Cooper will know all about him and the high intensity game he describes is exactly what he'll get from Luke so hopefully he'll build the team around him.

Hopefully

it would have to be a massive fee. he's 4 years on his contract

Potential Is huge. Way too good for league 2 but and in modern market at his age 1m isn't a silly amount. Don't want to sell but 1m is an amount that Can't
be turned down really. Hopefully pools will add a clause of a decent percentage of next fee aswell.

The boy is very talented and dosnt deserve to be in league 2 but would be gutted if we sold him. Him and Baldwin are quality players destined for the big time

His development would be better suited to staying with us over the next year or 2 rather than sitting on the bench for a higher div club.

Absolutely no point in signing for Shrewsbury, stupid rumour.

Sky playing football club darts

Sitting on the bench even that's debatable nowadays, play in reserves then loaned out everywhere around the country. How many young up and coming players have been snapped up by the big clubs to almost disappear off the radar. John Bostock of Palace comes to mind. Broke in to Palace team at 15 (in 2007) ended up at Spurs following year. 6 years on has yet to play a first team game for Spurs, and having just googled him has played the grand total of 42 games on loan in that 6 years at Brentford Hull Sheffield Wed Swindon and Toronto.

That's a shocking stat bob. Money talks but the love if the game seems to have gone for alot of players.

Good example that bob, over the years too many players have moved on too soon, whats his face who left notts county when he was a frigging sperm to go to arsenal, pennant, left waaaaaaaaaaay to early.

Even players already in the prem.. Scott Sinclair was Swanseas top player, now he's bench warming for Man City

Fabian Delph was another, stupid money for someone at that level.

Who is the keeper who left Boro for Chelsea and has won loads of trophies while warming the bench?

As said money talks. The love of the game seems to be pointless. Shocking really, there's so many examples

As fans we would all have loved to have been players ourselves, and money wouldn't have been in our minds, certainly to begin with. But who knows how your mind would change as the £££ signs started to shout at you.

He is now an essential part of Aston Villa's midfield though.

Thats the thing. If I was 21 and had a choice of £800 a week and playing everyweek for a L1 club or £3000 a week and the other benefits associated with a top club then I'd be mad not to take my chances and while I'm there almost quadruple my salary.

I think this new thing about signing a young 'un but leaving him at his club for a while is a great idea. He's got the future in his pocket, his teams got the money and he's still playing first team footy. Wilfred Zaha has done that and he's in the Championship play-off tomorrow. There's been a couple of others this season as well.

Ross Turnbull.