Coveted winger Graeme Murty is being head-hunted in a club record York City deal.

Relegated big-spenders Reading have tabled a bid in the region of £750,000 for the 23-year-old wideman, who was one of the successes of City's campaign last season.

City chairman Douglas Craig today confirmed permission had been granted by the club to allow Murty to talk with Reading, who fell from Division One just six weeks ago.

And refuting the claim that the club was selling off 'the family silver' the chairman insisted the Minstermen were 'actively' in the market for new recruits.

Murty is expected to travel to Reading on Friday for talks with manager Tommy Burns.

The Royals' boss is determined to land Murty, whom he has admired since first spotting the player in action when he was manager of Celtic several years ago and then assistant to Newcastle United boss Kenny Dalglish last season before he moved south to take over at Elm Park.

Said Burns: "Murty is a player I am interested in and one who is very much sought after." He added that the figure of £750,000 was not 'too far away'.

City however declined to speculate on any cash figures. But said chairman Craig: "Discussions have taken place between the two clubs, which have led to us being happy for Graeme Murty to speak to Reading.

"They have been given permission to speak to the player concerned."

The City chairman also refused to comment on whether Murty was the target of a £500,000 bid first revealed in the Evening Press last month.

But it is understood from Reading that the winger was indeed the subject of that transfer push from Burns, who initially opened the bidding at £350,000. Twice more he upped the offer, City also refusing even when it reached £500,000.

Now with the cash price hiked beyond £700,000 it looks as if north-easterner Murty might be on his way from the club he first joined as a teenager eight years ago.

The City chairman added however that in the wake of the sale of Jonathan Greening to Manchester United and the recent departure of contract rebel Steve Bushell to another Second Division club Blackpool, City were not off-loading their stars.

He declared City could soon be in the market themselves. "We have signed the two Neils in Neil Thompson and Neil Woods.

"And we are actively in the market to sign players. We have two, maybe three specific players that we are after."

If the Murty move were to go through it would represent the biggest single cash income in City's history.

While the deal that took 19-year-old striker Greening to Old Trafford last March could ultimately go beyond the £1million barrier depending on appearances, the previous best cash payment for a City player remains the £425,000 paid for Murty's wing predecessor Jon McCarthy by Port Vale in 1995.

Saltburn-born Murty had trials with Leeds United, Aston Villa and Stockport County before being taken on by City's under-16s on the recommendation of then Billingham manager Tony Lee.

After graduating to the intermediates and the reserves side he made his senior debut in 1993 in a crunch end of season League game at Port Vale.

Ironically, after McCarthy's move to the Valiants Murty established himself as a City force, his initial impact attracting the attention of Wolves, then bossed by Graham Taylor, and Nottingham Forest.

A series of niggling injuries stalled his progress and early last term he was one of eight players placed on the transfer-list by manager Alan Little. But he responded brilliantly either at full-back or on the wing, his more preferred position. In all he has made 140 senior appearances, 14 including substitute, scoring nine goals for the Minstermen.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.