DAVE Artell says Crewe have turned down a Blackburn Rovers bid for Harry Pickering.

It had been reported that the Championship outfit were closing in on a move for the Alex's outstanding left-back, but Artell stressed today that the valuation Rovers have placed on the 22-year-old is not acceptable.

"They (Blackburn) have made a bid for him and we've turned it down," said the Crewe boss. "We don't sell our players, clubs buy our players. It is not for us to put a price tag on their heads, we know their worth."

It is understood Rovers may have bid around £500,000 for the defender, who has been such an impressive performer since breaking into Crewe's first team in 2017. But it appears additional clauses tied into any potential deal may ultimately leave Tony Mowbray's club shying away.

Pickering signed a new three-year deal on the eve of the season, which has helped protect Crewe's investment in the Chester-born player. He is closing in on 150 games now and as well as being a versatile performer he has demonstrated maturity when taking on the captain's armband in the absence of the suspended Perry Ng over the last month.

While he has been a long-standing transfer target for Blackburn - where former Crewe head scout Glyn Chamberlain has a key role in identifying potential recruits - it appears for now that the interest could fade away.

Artell added: "I spoke to Harry yesterday and told him the outlook is bright for him. I said there was a possibility he might not be here. However, I said that if he was here there would be a possibility he might not be here in the summer and he'd be playing at a higher level then.

"Harry understands that we've got his best interests at heart. We've put 10 years into him and we're not going to throw that out of the window in one month."

The Crewe boss will be able to welcome back another key defender who has attracted transfer window interest for Saturday's trip to Plymouth.

Perry Ng has served out his six-game suspension imposed for a water-spitting incident in November's FA Cup second round tie at Cheltenham. But Artell has been impressed with Travis Johnson, 20, who has been the most recent stand-in at right-back for the Crewe skipper.

"You can't fault Travis as he has come a long way in a short period of time. He has got a long way to go, but he was behind in his development as a first-year professional and is rapidly catching up," said the manager.

"Travis could get forward more because he is a real outlet, but he has been very good for us in the last few games. He's been a terrific little bonus, although it will be good to have Perry back."