BURY Football Club are in no mood to be shortchanged as interest in their much sought-after winger Simon Whaley grows now the transfer window has opened.

That's the determined view of club director Iain Mills, who confirmed this week that the Shakers have already rejected a number of bids for the highly-rated player.

Mr Mills is also far from happy about what he sees as a breach of a confidentiality clause in Whaley's contract which stipulated the 20-year-old could talk - and move - to another club once a certain transfer fee figure had be reached.

The sum is believed to be considerably less than the £300,000 deal agreed with Sheffield Wednesday in November, a package that would have seen striker Danny Reet cross the Pennines in the opposite direction.

Whaley - as is his right - turned down a move to Hillsborough at the last minute, remarking that the loan deadline deal didn't feel right for him.

That £300,000 has now been seen as a benchmark of the player's value and the club are loathe to be railroaded into accepting a lot less.

According to Mr Mills it is no coincidence that clubs have tabled bids at precisely the fee that triggers the clause, and as far as he and his fellow directors are concerned, although they won't stand in the way of a good move for the player, they aren't going to sell the club short either.

"There is an agreement in Simon's contract that he could go for a set amount, and clubs are tabling bids exactly at that amount which is very suspicious," he explained.

"A confidentiality agreement has been clearly broken, so now, as far as Bury Football Club is concerned that fee no longer stands.

"We don't want to stand in Simon's way, that's not our style, and if a player can better himself it's our duty to help him do that, but we also have to look after the interests of the club.

"I think teams want to take him knowing that he can be sold on for a lot of money afterwards.

"Since that contract was signed he has come on a great deal as a player after being given the opportunity to progress by our previous manager Graham Barrow, and now Chris Casper.

"I don't think it is unfair for us to be adequately compensated for helping him develop the way he has."

Whaley joined the Shakers youth set-up in 2001, and made his full league debut in April 2004 in a home draw against Bristol Rovers.

His first league strike came in the last match of the 2003-2004 season when he grabbed the Shakers' final goal of the campaign in a 2-0 win over Macclesfield Town.

This season he has been on target seven times, most of them spectacular efforts that have attracted a host of scouts to the Gigg Lane stands, keeping tabs on his progress.

"In the past we have had to let Paddy Kenny, Dave Nugent and Danny Swailes go for financial reasons but we aren't in that situation now," added Mr Mills.

"Finances are always relatively tight at the club but there's no way we are going to let a good player like Simon move for next to nothing.

"People are trying to push us around because we are Bury FC, but there's no way we're going to put up with it."