Wigan boss Steve Bruce has hit out at the rumours surrounding England striker Emile Heskey and insisted that the former Liverpool striker will not go on the cheap.
It is common knowledge in the football world that Heskey is out of contract in the summer and with plenty of interest in the Wigan target man, Bruce has issued a warning to other Premier League managers stating 'We would be mad to cash in for the sake of £4m.'
With another £30m jackpot for the teams who survive in the Premier League, Bruce feels Heskey is an important figure in the clubs survival plans.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Bruce said ''We don't want to lose him, "You don't have to be Einstein to realise that.
"I'm sure the chairman would back me on this. We could get three or four million pounds for Heskey in January, but what's the point when you are trying to get a £30 million jackpot next summer?
"It would take a hell of a bid for us to even consider selling him because of the implications it would have on the club.
"Emile Heskey has been terrific for Wigan. He owes us nothing at all because of his performances. We would be mad to cash in for the sake of £4m.
"I'll be doing my utmost to make sure he stays, which is the same with other players. We have four or five who are coveted by top teams.
"We want to try and keep hold of them. We know how difficult it is to keep hold of the players but that's always going to be the case."
With Bruce wanting to find another striker in January, Heskey could be sold to finance a move for either Mido, Emad Moteab or Guillermo Franco who are all possible targets.
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