One of Norwich City's brightest young hopes has been linked with a move to Premier League giants Chelsea. A report in the Daily Mirror yesterday claimed that Chelsea were ready to pay City £250,000 for keeper Jed Steer - "and groom him for stardom".

One of Norwich City's brightest young hopes has been linked with a move to Premier League giants Chelsea.

A report in the Daily Mirror yesterday claimed that Chelsea were ready to pay City £250,000 for keeper Jed Steer - "and groom him for stardom".

But the Blues could face competition after their own scout was joined by one representing Manchester United to watch Steer play for the U18s in a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace at City's Colney training centre

Steer made his debut for England U16s a year ago and has twice been called up to the U17s squad, even though he turned 16 just last week. The Academy product's emergence as a star of the future, plus the development of U18s keeper Declan Rudd, was cited by manager Glenn Roeder as one of the reasons why he felt able to sell Joe Lewis to Peterborough last January. Both Steer and Rudd are Norfolk-born and while Roeder concedes that is a rarity, he said everything was being done to prevent home grown talent being lost.

"I am not frustrated by it," he said. "But Norfolk has yet to prove it produces top players. We have to keep going back to Danny Mills and it is too long. That is not a criticism, it is just the way it is. The important thing is if what I call a God-given talent is born in Norfolk we get him, and I'm sure we will. We have a good recruitment team looking for young players and it is not as if too many have slipped the net."