MARVIN JOHNSON'S agent has blasted back at Motherwell in the wake of their defiant statement over the winger's transfer value.

The Fir Park club were moved into going public after Johnson handed in a transfer request yesterday morning in a last-ditch attempt to trigger a move south of the border.

Offers from Oxford United had been knocked back earlier in the month, and the Lanarkshire side on Monday said they would not be 'cajoled or manoeuvred' into selling their prize asset on the cheap.

With Motherwell valuing Johnson at around £1million, it is unlikely a offer of that amount will be forthcoming before tonight's deadline.

However, the player's agent Gino Culbertson hit out at the club, claiming they are prohibiting a move for his client by holding out for an 'unrealistic' fee.

He said: “Marvin was signed for a very nominal fee by the club for the sole intention that he be sold as soon as possible for profit and whilst we are more than happy with this, the issue is the unrealistic value that they have now imposed upon him which frankly prohibitive and clearly out of step with the current market.

"They keep referring to supposed huge offers other Scottish clubs have turned down for players, which are frankly just speculation and appear to have little substance and those moves which have taken place are in line with the offer received for Marvin.

“The offer they have currently, would see them make a huge and substantial profit on a player they bought only eighteen months ago and we feel rightly so, but to demand a figure that is pricing the player out of any move is clearly both unfair and unreasonable.

“We have always maintained that the club have been good to Marvin and in return the service he has given them has been outstanding in terms of his contribution in helping them to retain their Premiership status in his first season and the performances he produced last season.

"He has enjoyed his time at the club and appreciates the support he has always received from the fans. However, I am sure they would all accept and appreciate that family must come first and hence his desire to move.

“Whilst a club can put any price upon a player’s head, the facts are that a player is only worth what a club is willing to pay for him and Motherwell’s valuation of him is both unreasonable and over inflated, hence the lack of interest and offers from other clubs, Oxford being the only official offer received.

"We would all dearly love Marvin to be sold for a huge transfer fee but we feel the club have to be realistic and temper avaricious expectations with common sense and fairness.

“It is our hope that the matter will be resolved amicably and in the best interests of both parties.”

Johnson currently has two years left on his Motherwell deal after penning a contract extension last month.

He originally told SportTimes last month that he was settled at Fir Park, but his actions over the last few days suggest otherwise.

In their statement on Monday, Motherwell said: "The club has been in dialogue with Marvin and his representatives over the last few weeks; today’s official request changes nothing.

Motherwell FC is a club who looks to identify, develop and then trade talent on; it’s a key part of our business model and the vision we sell to players when they come here to play.

However, we will not be cajoled or manoeuvred to a point where we are forced to sell a player against our will for less than an appropriate value."