Berthel Askou: Motherwell fended off 'several offers for Maswanhise on deadline day

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou said the club fended off “extreme interest” and “several offers” for star player Tawanda Maswanhise on deadline day.

The Zimbabwe international – who on Tuesday was named in the SPFL team of the week – has caught the eye this season, scoring 18 goals, including 13 in the Premiership.

Despite “an extreme amount of interest from all over the world”, the January transfer deadline passed with the Scottish Premiership top scorer still at Fir Park.

The 23-year-old had been linked with Anderlecht and both Old Firm sides as they attempt to hunt down Hearts in the race for the title.

Berthel Askou said it was “very easy to say no” to several offers that were put in for the forward as Motherwell aim to keep momentum in what has been a fantastic season for the Steelmen.

“It’s a club decision that we want to see if we can push as far and build on the momentum we have built and build on the quality of the squad we have in the building”, he said.

“Obviously, he has attracted an extreme amount of interest from all over the world and also from the UK and a little bit earlier than we expected and perhaps he expected.

“There has been offers, but they have not been at an amount that has been anywhere near the valuation we have put on him, so it has been very easy to say no. Now is not the time to change the plans that we have made.”

In what is a welcome transfer window for Berthel Askou, Stephen Welsh returned to Motherwell on loan until the end of the season after Celtic signed fellow centre-half Benjamin Arthur on loan from Brentford.

The Scot has contributed towards nine clean sheets for Jens Berthel Askou’s side.

“I’m very happy, and so is Steven”, Askou said. “I think all parties are happy with how it ended.”

“It was finalised very late, but I think we were all hopeful and optimistic that it would end this way.

“Look, we never wanted him to go back to Celtic; it wasn’t up to us. It was a decision that Celtic felt they had to take.

“From there on, it was a good dialogue from all parties, all of them went through, and finally it turned out the way it did: they got another body in that position so Welshy could come back finished the way he started with us.”