Sources: Tottenham offer for Browne rejected amid West Ham swoop
Starlet defender Rico Browne has snubbed a contract offer from Tottenham to stay at Birmingham City for another year, Football Insider has learned.
The centre-back, 17, has been the subject of strong interest this summer from Spurs, West Ham and Brighton.
But a recruitment source has told Football Insider that Browne has opted to remain at Birmingham for the final season of his two-year scholarship.
He is unwilling to sign a professional contract with the Championship outfit to leave his future beyond 2022 up in the air.
Birmingham told suitors they wanted a fee of £1.5million including add-ons for Browne in this window.
Football Insider revealed in March that Birmingham had granted permission for Browne to head to West Ham on a trial and Spurs also verbally offered an 18-month contract to him.
Furthermore, Browne went as far as undertaking a medical at Brighton after agreeing terms.
But any potential transfer is now off the table until next year.
A potential move has been complicated by Birmingham's valuation of the youngster increasing to £1.5million including add-ons.
That is more than they wanted for England youth international Calum Scanlon, 15, who joined Liverpool in January for a fee of up to £500,000.
Tottenham, West Ham and Brighton were put off by the new Browne price tag.
He spent time with the east Londoners after a trial at Spurs that ended in January.
The youngster, who played in the FA Youth Cup last year while still at school, is now back at Birmingham.