Bristol City have rejected a deadline day approach from Championship rivals Nottingham Forest for striker Antoine Semenyo, Bristol Live understands.
Semenyo has enjoyed a stunning return to the first-team over the last two months, scoring four goals and adding five assists in his nine games since the start of December after overcoming a niggling knee problem following surgery in the summer.
His latest star turn was at Deepdale on Saturday as he scored the second in a 2-2 draw with Preston North End and his performances for the Robins have increased the volume of scouts from clubs watching the 22-year-old.
Forest are believed to have made a bid on Monday morning for the former SGS College pupil but it fell well short of the Robins valuation, which is in the region of £20million, with Semenyo under contract until 2023, with the option of a further 12 months.
It remains to be seen whether Forest will make a return bid for the forward or that another club will test City’s resolve but it does continue a trend of CEO Richard Gould being resolute in his desire to retain the Robins best young talent.
Watford were rebuffed in an approach for Han-Noah Massengo last summer, with talks continuing over a new contract for the 20-year-old although the matter will increasingly come to a head as the summer approaches.
In the case of Semenyo he is happy at Ashton Gate, where is development has dramatically accelerated under Nigel Pearson who has placed trust in him operating as a central striker. He has made a point of commenting on the manager’s confidence in him and it is bearing fruit on the pitch.
Bristol Live understands that Semenyo's representative Tony Finnegan is very much on the same page as the club with an acknowledgement of the work the Robins have done with the young forward from academy level to the first-team.
In 2019, City rejected a bid from Premier League Chelsea for the then-19-year-old who was enjoying a fine loan spell at Newport County and the feeling is that if Semenyo is to leave City it will be for a top-flight club and for a significant transfer fee.
Meanwhile, the Robins have also turned down a loan bid from Cardiff City for striker Nahki Wells with Pearson considering the Bermudian an important member of his squad.
The Bluebirds made the offer on Sunday night in anticipation of Kieffer Moore's transfer to Bournemouth but were knocked back with Wells now likely to remain in BS3.
The 31-year-old has effectively been shunted to fourth-choice at Ashton Gate but Pearson wants to keep him on board and maintain his options in attack.
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