"Ridiculous" - Pundit reacts to Blackburn Rovers price for Szmodics as Everton lurk | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer believes the reported valuation that Blackburn Rovers have put on Sammie Szmodics is way too high for a player like him, as interest from Everton looms.

Journalist Alan Nixon reported, via his Patreon, that Rovers were looking to get between £15-20 million for their talismanic Irishman.

They are said to be looking to receive a similar fee to the one that they got for Adam Wharton, who joined Crystal Palace in the January transfer window in a deal initially worth £18 million, but it could rise to £22 million, as per Nixon.

The Toffees are one of the teams that are said to have taken a liking to Szmodics, alongside the likes of Luton Town, Brentford and Sheffield United, according to Nixon.

Palmer, a former England international turned pundit, has had some harsh words to say about the price that Blackburn want teams to pay to get the 28-year-old.

Carlton Palmer's critical Sammie Szmodics price verdict

The ex-midfield player believes that the money that Rovers want for the Irish international is: "ridiculous."

Speaking to Football League World, Palmer said: "Everton are believed to be interested in signing Blackburn's standout performer this season: Szmodics. He's been outstanding. He's scored 31 goals in all competitions, with 25 of them coming in the Championship. Brentford and Luton are also eyeing up the striker.

"This is a strange one, for me. Szmodics has never played in the Premier League. He's never come close to his 25 goals this season in any other season.

"He's spent a lot of his career in the lower divisions. Yes, he's had a fantastic season - people should be looking at him, for sure. But to be talking about £20 million, for somebody who's never managed over 10-15 goals in the Championship before, is ridiculous.

"Obviously he's 28-years-old, he's going to be 29 in September. I think it's way too much money, but this is what you've got to pay.

"Will he be a starter in any team in the top flight? I could understand Luton, if they got relegated, but still, £20 million is an awful lot of money for someone who is not a consistent performer at scoring goals at that high of a level.

"It's clear that Blackburn want to cash in - they want to bring some money in. I can see him moving for about £10 million, for sure, but 20 seems too much. "I'm sure, even though Everton are looking at the situation, they won't be looking to pay that. They let a player go to Coventry City (Ellis Simms) for £15 million, and he was younger, had more ability, and had more promise than Szmodics. So I can't see them paying £20 million for someone who won't be a guaranteed starter in the Premier League.

"£10 million, yes, I can see him going for that. Birmingham City are also interested in him, but, £20 million is way too much; £10 million is more in the region for a player who isn't guaranteed to hit 25 goals again in the Championship this season."

Everton would be crazy to pay £20 million for Szmodics

The 23/24 campaign is the first time in the Irishman's Championship career that he has scored double-digit goals in a season, and he had only ever scored 15 league goals once before, in the 20/21 League One campaign.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this player is going to be someone that Everton can guarantee to hit the ground running and replace, or work alongside, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

They need reliability. Can anyone really say that, outside of this season, that Szmodics has been a consistent net-finder in any of his seasons at a decent level? It's a hard argument to make, and an even harder one to justify that price tag.