I DON'T mean to be rude but don't start wishing me Happy New Year yet.

Because at Burnley that all depends on whether we can hold on to Ade Akinbiyi in the transfer window this month.

This club has a habit of selling its top scorers, like it has in the past two seasons with Gareth Taylor then Robbie Blake.

And even worse this time, we've not only got our own top scorer, but the top scorer in the Championship as well.

So I have this nagging fear that someone's going to come in with a bid for him and, given our financial situation, it will be too good to refuse.

Don't get me wrong, I really hope it doesn't happen because that wouldn't be fair on the fans or the manager after the great job he's done this season.

But what if, for example, Neil Warnock comes in and offers £1.5million for a player he is a big fan of and reckons he can get the goals to send Sheffield United into the Premiership?

Given that we bought Ade for £600,000 I reckon the board couldn't refuse that sort of money.

And I can't see them saying to Steve Cotterill: Here's £1.5million, go out and buy some players."

A windfall like that would be used to stabilise the finances and the boss would be lucky to see £100,000 of it.

I know I'm sounding like a doom-monger here but I'm just desperate for us to keep hold of Ade.

Take his goals out of it and, although Garreth O'Connor has a few, you're then looking at midfielders being our main scorers.

I have to mention how well Chris McCann did with his great goal at QPR, but it's not as if there's loads of kids queuing up to step in and get 20 goals in the first team.

That's why Ade is so valuable to us - but you have to wonder how valuable Burnley is to him.

All players are the same, if you get a good offer of better money and the chance to play at the highest level you can, you're off.

So, as I say, I'm not sure if Happy New Year is the right thing to say yet.

But if it turns out to be, say it to me at the end of January, not the start!