Derby County will aim to press on with a number of new signings soon, as Paul Warne’s men embark on a new adventure in the Championship, after suffering from big fish in a small pond syndrome in League One.
Warne revealed to talkSPORT recently that the Rams are currently in discussions with three new additions to really bolster their ranks, needing to strengthen here and there to ensure the step-up in quality doesn’t swallow them whole.
One of those new bodies into the building could be an exciting Premier League starlet, who Derby have long admired from afar, with the player in question filling a gap in the centre of the park, as Max Bird is now on the books at Bristol City officially.
Derby long-term admirers of Premier League youngster
DerbyshireLive journalist Leigh Curtis has revealed that the newly-promoted Rams are powering on to try and recruit new players in central midfield, with Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark one name being looked at, alongside the likes of Herbie Kane and Ebou Adams.
Curtis further elaborates in his report that Warne’s men have been ‘long-term admirers’ of the 19-year-old Reds gem, who had seen his first-team minutes at Anfield increase this season under the now departed Jurgen Klopp, with 12 men’s team appearances tallied up which even culminated in him scoring in the Europa League.
Clark could also offer Warne’s side more creativity and energy in midfield with Bird now situated at Ashton Gate, with the former homegrown product bagging six goals and seven assists last season in Derby’s promotion success story.
How Clark could replace Bird
Bird would bow out from Pride Park by scoring on the final day to ensure a smooth sailing victory against Carlisle United was secured, passing the baton now over to the young Liverpool loanee to shine, after he was labelled as being “exceptional” by Klopp when a number of starlets coming through the ranks for the Reds excelled in a big 6-1 win over Sparta Prague in March.
This will obviously be easier said than done from Clark’s perspective to fill Bird’s shoes, considering how important Bird has been for Derby since his first introduction into the Rams’ senior picture.
The 23-year-old would help himself to ten goals and 17 assists from 200 overall appearances at Pride Park, with Clark eager to kick on and start making waves in the men’s game in a similar fashion, after playing with swagger in the U18 and U21 mix at Liverpool for some time now.
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Clark’s numbers for Liverpool – U18s and U21s |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games played |
Goals scored |
Assists |
|
2023/24 |
19 |
2 |
4 |
|
2022/23 |
27 |
2 |
2 |
|
2021/22 |
27 |
13 |
5 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|||
Much more of a goalscoring presence than Bird when playing youth football for Liverpool, where he also shone as a left midfielder which could give the likes of Corey Blackett-Taylor a run for his money in the Championship, the 19-year-old has also made a name for himself in the senior side as a central midfielder.
The 74-minute spell handed to him in the Europa League saw him dazzle in that role, picking up an assist as well as a goal, with more senior football needed now for the teenager, to stop him from potentially stagnating only being exposed to Premier League 2 action.
Clark won’t be the only new midfielder recruited, looking at rumours coming out from Pride Park, but it could be a statement capture from the new Championship side if pulled off, on the way to more incomings being signed up to help at least survival in the second-tier being achieved as a bare minimum.
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