Rotherham United boss Paul Warne admits he'd rather lose Chiedozie Ogbene sooner rather than later if it ensured he could use any funds generated from a potential sale to bolster his squad.
The Republic of Ireland international has attracted transfer interest of late, with Swansea City among those to explore the option of signing the 25-year-old. Ogbene put in a fine performance on the opening day of the campaign and scored his side's goal in a 1-1 draw between the sides at the New York Stadium.
But, speaking after the contest in Yorkshire, Russell Martin played down links to the versatile forward.
"I saw us linked with a left centre-half who I've never heard of this week," he said. "There's been so many players linked with us. Some will be real, some will be tenuous and some will be completely miles away from it. That's where it is.
"He's at a club that really values him, he plays all the time, I've never spoken to the player in my life. He's done great with his career recently, with Ireland and everything, but, when someone is linked, in football, the perception and reality are often really far apart."
And Warne has stated that the Millers are yet to receive any contact regarding Ogbene. "If someone wants to offer us £10m, but I don't know if I'll have time to spend it," said Warne when asked if he doesn't want Ogbene's form to attract attention.
"In fairness, I'd rather him play brilliantly now because if it's going to happen, it might as well happen. There's no point in it happening on the eve of the window, and then I get told, 'unlucky' if only it had been [earlier].
"But as it stands at the moment, I've had no calls for him. The chairman doesn't want to sell him, he's in the last year of his contract, I'm not even convinced the lad wants to go, so we're in a good place."
Swansea are determined to bolster their wing-back options in the final months of the summer transfer window having already added Matty Sorinola to their ranks. Ogbene has regularly operated in a wide position during his career, although he was deployed in an advanced attacking role on Saturday when Rotherham hosted Swansea.
And Warne stated that Ogbene would much rather lead the line than play as a wing-back at present. "I could play Chieo as a nine, your best players can play anywhere really, you've just got to get your best players in the team," added the Rotherham boss.
"I think Chieo is a threat, and the way this league is, the centre forwards don't get beaten up. I think it'll definitely favour Chieo, I like him up top, and it means he doesn't have to run back, so it's a win win.
"I reckon he doesn't want to play anywhere else but there, it's like a dream role. No-one grows up wanting to play wing-back. I definitely see him at this moment in time either as a very good 10 or as a nine."
The transfer window closes at 11pm on Thursday, September 1.
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