Club take action as Leeds United and Nottingham Forest eye striker | OneFootball

Kilmarnock have acted quickly to protect one of their coveted young assets, with 18-year-old Zander Craik said to have been offered a new deal at Rugby Park - as per the Daily Record.

The teenager has been reportedly attracting interest from a number of clubs including Leeds United and Nottingham Forest in recent months, and is out of contract in the summer as it stands.

Former Bristol City boss Derek McInnes is the man in charge at Killie, and the Scot is keen to keep the young talent at the club, having brought him into train with the first team in recent months.

The Scottish Premier League side will be trying to pull out all the stops to keep hold of the striker, but will also be entitled to compensation should their player leave for pastures new in the summer.

Crystal Palace are already said to have tabled a bid for Craik in January, but the two clubs couldn’t reach an agreement, leaving a swathe of big names from England’s top two tiers circling.

A fee of £50,000 was said to be agreed by the teams according to Football Insider, but it has been reported that those at Selhurst Park cancelled the deal late on.

Who is Kilmarnock starlet Zander Craik?

Growing up in Oban on Scotland’s West Coast, Craik was spotted playing for a local side at the age if 15 by Motherwell, whom he spent a year with before making the move to Killie two years ago.

Initially being tested out as a left winger in the youth system, Craik has benefited from a move into the centre of the park, where he has scored regularly for the youth team.

Citing current Port Vale strike Uche Ikpeazu (pictured) as an early inspiration, the powerful striker’s physical attributes would lend himself to the English game, with his clever movement at the sharp end of the pitch that of a player much more experienced.

Craik has already proved himself to be a hotshot striker, albeit at youth level, with a four-goal haul against Dundee United yet another performance to catch the eye, and no doubt adding another zero onto his price tag in the summer.

Leeds United could benefit from Palace pondering

Leeds United are one of a number of teams said to be interested in Craik, with the Yorkshire side hoping to have returned to the Premier League by the time a deal is struck.

Daniel Farke’s side sit second in the Championship league table after a fantastic 3-1 victory over leaders Leicester City on Friday night, with Dan James, Archie Gray and Connor Roberts all on the scoresheet.

With rumours circling about interest in strikers Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto, a move for another new man to bang in the goals looks likely in the summer, and in Craik they could have found someone with plenty of potential.

The young star knows where the back of the net is, that is for sure, and with a forward line boasting quality in the shape of Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe to create chances at will, someone with that engrained nature of grabbing goals is a valuable commodity.