The Premiership transfer window closes on Friday and remarkably Palace have held onto all their young players, with only Birminghams paltry £600,000 bid for Hayden Mullins troubling chairman Simon Jordan.

With two days to go, Birmingham are unlikely to renew their interest having already signed seven players in January, but Mullin's eye-catching man-of-the-match performance on Sunday may see other potential suitors make a late move.

One could forgive Mullins, 23, for letting his attention drift to the prospect of a lucrative Premiership transfer just days after shackling Michael Owen and company, but the versatile midfielder is already concentrating on a tough run of Palace fixtures, not least the return to Anfield next Wednesday.

He told the Guardian: "I have not heard a word about a transfer since Birmingham came in for me and I am happy with that. The way the boys are doing now we are pushing for the play-offs and if we don't reach them we will be very disappointed.

"If we can come out of these next three games (away to Leicester, Liverpool and Notts Forest) with some good points it will set us up nicely to make a promotion challenge. This is a very big month for us, all the boys know it and it's a challenge we are up for."

On his big match performance, playing out of position on the right of a back-three, Mullins is typically modest.

He said: "It was my first man-of-the-match award on television and it was great to do it in such a big game. But the team as a whole did really well. It was a big game and we didn't need any motivation, the gaffer said just go out and enjoy it."

And returning to Anfield two years after being mauled 5-0 in the second leg of the league cup holds no fear for Mullins, who says they have learnt lessons from that tie.

He chuckled: "We have learnt to keep quiet before the game! They are awesome at home and we are going to have to put in a great performance to get anything out of it. But we are underdogs, there's no pressure on us and we are going to enjoy it."

That's unless the Premiership vultures are already circling, but an estimated £1million revenue from the two Liverpool cup ties may have taken the pressure off Jordan to sell one of his most valuable assets.

Trevor Francis will certainly be glad when the transfer window shuts.

He said: "From a selfish attitude I am glad, but I work very closely with the chairman and if there were to be an offer in the next few days well then I am very philosophical and I would accept it."

January 29, 2003 12:00