It's that time of year when the rumour mill starts to whirr and it won't have come as a big surprise that Jacob Murphy's name has been mentioned in the gossip columns.

The City youngster has been one of the few positives to have come out of the club's season so far, notching seven goals, but his exploits haven't gone unnoticed it would appear.

Premier League suitors in the form of Tottenham, Everton and Southampton are reportedly lining up to test Norwich's resolve to keep one of their star turns despite the fact he signed a new four-and-a-half year deal at Carrow Road only last month.

Contracts are of course only a piece of paper but it would still be a big surprise if, come the end of January, Murphy wasn't still a Norwich City player.

The youngster is playing regular first team football with a top Championship side – I know they haven't really looked like that for a couple of months until Brentford rolled into town.

But Murphy's long-term career prospects would surely best be served spearheading Norwich's promotion charge rather than sitting on the bench of a Premier League side, making the odd cup appearance.

From what we've seen so far Murphy hasn't got the consistency to hold down a first team place with a top-flight side.

Speak to any manager worth their salt and they will tell you that it is that experience that brings consistency.

A full season in the Championship should see Murphy earn his stripes before assessing his options again.

If Murphy's career and Norwich's promotion aspirations go in different directions then those Premier League clubs will come calling again.

But if Murphy were to move in January there is a real chance his career could stall just when it looked like he was about to establish himself as one of English football's brightest prospects.

The hope, from a City point of view, is that he has advisors that want to plan out a long, lucrative career for their client rather than chase a big contract now at the expense of long-term success.