We won't splash Lennon Miller cash, but it will stabilise the club, says Motherwell boss

Daily Record

a day ago

Jens Berthel Askou says the club record fee from Udinese will be used sensibly
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou says he won't be splashing the cash from Lennon Miller's £5m move to Udinese – but it will help to stabilise the club.
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Miller, 18, moved to the Serie A club for a club record fee, on a five-year deal, and while Askou wants to strengthen his squad, he's not going to splash money about carelessly.
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On Miller's life-changing move, Askou said: 'The big headline is it's a fantastic deal for Motherwell FC and everybody who's involved in the club, the supporters, everyone who has played a part in his development, his pathway.
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'Obviously for Motherwell in the future it will also benefit us, and it's a fantastic deal for Lennon himself, and also for Scottish football to send one of its most promising talents into a very good and competitive league.
'We are really happy on his behalf, and on everyone's behalf, who is a part of Motherwell FC.
'In the short time I've been here I've seen a very intelligent football player, who is also very composed and relaxed and good at dealing with pressure, and I expect him to do really well there.
'Coming to Italy there is a bit of adapting to the language, the style and a higher level, but I think he will adapt really well.
'I'm excited on his behalf, and I think we should be, all of us, and it's going to be really interesting to see him grow. He's still very young.
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'I'm quite convinced that he's got a very bright future ahead of him at Udinese, and he will be able to take the next step as a football player.'
Askou says there will be aspects of the Fir Park club that will be strengthened with the cash, and they'll future-proof themselves.
He said: 'We still have a few things to do [with the squad], we've been open about that, but we're not going to name specific positions.
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'We're doing our best and things are moving on in the right direction, and we're still working within our framework and budget, and driving this club forward, sustainably.
'When you make a big deal like we've done now, it's not going to be splashed, it's going to be benefiting Motherwell, a little bit short-term, but in general on the long-term, so we can produce the next Lennon Miller in the future and we'll be able to be more competitive as a club and keep progressing.
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'We're not going to risk the club and the balance within the club, and the structure, because we've been in the Premiership for many years and we want to keep doing what we do.
'But we've taken some steps to modernising the club, within the framework that we have, and we're not going to risk that by over-spending and taking quick decisions.
'We're doing things at the right speed and tempo, so that we have a good and healthy club in months, years and decades to come.
'I'm not going to expose how we approach that [transfer fee], but there's a good and healthy plan, which I back up completely, how to get the best out of the possibilities it has given the club, both in short and long-term.
'We're not going to change our approach to the way we drive the football club, from a financial point of view, but it gives us some stability and opportunities to maybe think of some of the long-term investments we know we need to do, and maybe speed that process up a little bit, which is very positive.'