Leeds United and Newcastle provided with potential boost in transfer race for EFL player | OneFootball

A fire sale of players is being lined up by Derby County due to the ongoing delays with securing a takeover, with the Rams needing £5m to operate for the remainder of the season according to the Daily Mail.

This news comes as a potential transfer boost to the likes of Premier League sides Burnley, Leeds United and Newcastle United who are all thought to be considering a move for 20-year-old Jason Knight.

The Irishman is said to be available for a fee of £8m with the Rams prepared to cash in on prized assets, perhaps demonstrated most clearly when Graeme Shinnie secured his move to Wigan Athletic last weekend.

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This £8m would go a long way in helping the East Midlands side’s administrators to secure their future in the coming months, as disputes between the Rams, Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers continue to be a barrier to a potential takeover.

Captain Tom Lawrence was thought to be on the way out of Pride Park during this winter window with the 27-year-old reported to be on a hefty wage – but a move away is yet to materialise and they could turn their attentions to other prized assets.

Despite several parties being interested in a takeover, the Rams are still in a perilous position in administration and have been placed under a transfer embargo after failing to meet a deadline to find a bidder able to fund the club for the remainder of the campaign.

This could provide the interested top-flight trio with the courage to swoop for Knight, with the 20-year-old excelling under Wayne Rooney and showing his versatility as a wide player on occasions this term.

The Verdict:

What a sucker punch this would be for Derby fans if the Irishman was to leave Pride Park this month.

Some would say they have bigger issues to worry about with the club still administration and in real danger of sinking further unless they can solve their takeover situation.

However, Knight leaving could be hugely detrimental to the club’s survival chances and relegation would have a severe effect on who they will be able to retain beyond the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

They will be desperate to retain the likes of Lee Buchanan, Max Bird, Louie Sibley and others, but may only be able to do so if they retain their second-tier status with the trio potentially having aspirations of stepping up to the Premier League in the future.

This is why a takeover needs to happen as soon as possible to prevent more departures from happening this month and perhaps even tie down some of their most promising assets to new deals.