Derby County keen on signing Sheffield United midfielder | OneFootball

With just one defeat in their last 11 league matches, Derby County are pushing very strongly now for one of the two automatic promotion places in League One.

Whilst their start to the campaign was slightly ropey, Paul Warne is showing his managerial expertise in recent months and also the strength in depth of his squad, having lost just once since a late October defeat by Stevenage.

That loss came on New Year's Day against Peterborough at Pride Park, which snapped a nine-match unbeaten run, but Derby were back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon when downing Fleetwood Town 3-1 at Highbury, putting County just two points off the top two.

Even though Warne and his squad must focus on matters on the pitch, the Derby boss will be hoping to add to his squad this month before the January transfer window closes - and they have been linked with a player who has already made a real impact in League One this season.

According to a report from The Sun's Alan Nixon via his Patreon account, Derby are now keeping tabs on Sheffield United midfielder Ollie Arblaster's situation.

The 19-year-old has had a fantastic first half of the season on loan at Derby's League One rivals Port Vale, where he has featured 20 times in the third tier of English football and has played mainly in a deeper midfield role, although he is capable of being more advanced too.

Arblaster has not played for a number of weeks due to a nasty knee injury suffered in an EFL Cup quarter-final clash with Middlesbrough, but Sheffield United decided to recall the teenager to consider his short-term future, whether that is keeping him around the first-team squad for the remainder of the season or to loan him out once more.

And if United decide to send Arblaster out again, then Derby are hoping to be at the head of the pack ready to land his services, although he will not be ready to return to action until February when he will have recovered from his knee issue.

The fact that Warne has set his sights on Arblaster could be a telling sign of the future of current Derby midfielder Max Bird.

The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the 2023-24 season, and with no option available to trigger his deal by a year, County may have to cash in on their academy product and re-invest.

Hull City, whose head coach Liam Rosenior - ex-Derby interim boss of course - wanted Bird in the summer transfer window, with local reports in East Riding of Yorkshire claiming that the Tigers are set to rekindle their interest this month.

Arblaster could be a short-term like-for-like replacement however in midfield next to Conor Hourihane, but Derby may have to have other options under consideration if the Blades opt not to send the youngster out on loan again.