Exeter open to selling Wareham at 'the right time'

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor says he would not stand in the way of Jayden Wareham leaving if the right bid came in for the striker, describing the League Two side as "a selling football club".

The 23-year-old scored 22 goals in 53 appearances last season and has been the subject of speculation linking him with a move away from St James Park.

Speaking before Exeter's away trip to York City on Saturday, Taylor confirmed an official bid for Wareham had already been turned down.

But he said he expected the process to "hot up" towards the end of the week with the transfer window closing at midnight on 1 September, hours after the Devon side play against Barnet.

Taylor said the rumours and uncertainty around his players had made managing the squad much harder.

"It's impossible, because no matter what happens, if Jayden were to leave we don't have the time or finance to replace him within the transfer window," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"We have to be ready to go to the loan market, the free-agent market, or to try and get a contracted player, but as time goes on those options become less and less."

Taylor said he was split on how he would approach another bid for Wareham.

"As a manager, there's a selfish side of me that wants to keep my best players, but let's be honest, Exeter City is a selling football club.

"We've worked to a certain model, whether that's academy products getting into the first team and then going on to bigger and better things, or players that we attract to the football club and then develop.

"This is an opportunity club, and part of an opportunity club is understanding that when it's the right time for players to move on, they move on, and that it benefits all parties.

"I'm really comfortable with that, and I think our supporters are as well."