Darlington have turned down a provisional offer of £500,000 for promising teenage winger Adam Rundle from Fulham.

As Darlington prepare to welcome Faustino Asprilla to Feethams, Quakers are also bracing themselves for the departure of 18-year-old Rundle, who has been tipped for the top since signing youth team forms with the club two years ago.

Rundle will spend the beginning of this week with the ambitious west London outfit, but Quakers will refuse to let him join Jean Tigana's side unless they up their initial bid.

Although Fulham's bid amounts to half a million, only a fraction of the money would be forthcoming immediately with the remainder being paid if Rundle plays in a certain amount of games.

Darlington boss Tommy Taylor explained: "He's going down there to train on Monday and Tuesday so they can have a better look at him.

"If he does really well down there they will want to sign him, but we don't want to let him go on the money they're talking about.

"They've put a bid in for him and it's a lot of money but it's only a lot of money over a period of games. We're not a selling club and we don't have to sell Adam.

"But I don't want to stop the boy from going to a Premiership club."

Rundle was not involved at Rochdale in case he received an injury before going to Fulham while he spent last week training with Middlesbrough, although it is not thought that that was with a view to a transfer.

Taylor explained he had wanted Rundle, who started the first two games of the season before being rested for the last two, to learn from his time at the Riverside.

This is not the first time South Shields-born Rundle has attracted interest from a big club as French giants Marseille were keen on the left winger during the summer.

Marseille had been impressed by video tapes of Rundle, sent to southern France by his representatives, and wanted him to spend a week on trial but he turned it down in favour of staying with Quakers.

He made his first-team debut only last season against Lincoln at Feethams in January when he set-up Mark Sheeran's winner before being concussed after receiving a whack on the nose