Leeds, Watford, West Brom and Nottingham Forest in transfer battle for international midfielder | OneFootball

There is plenty of interest in taking Tom Lawrence on a free transfer this summer – and Leeds, Watford, West Brom and Nottingham Forest are the latest to throw their hats into the ring for his services as reported by TEAMtalk.

The player currently plies his trade for Derby, who have found themselves relegated to League One from the Championship after a tumultuous campaign for the club.

Despite the Rams having plenty of off-field issues, the former Man United man was made club captain and helped them pick up plenty of points along the way.

In fact, the 28-year-old ended the season as the club’s top goalscorer and top assist maker to boot. In just 38 Championship outings, Lawrence managed 11 goals and five assists, making him one of the best in his position in the entire division.

Quiz: Which club did Nottingham Forest sign these 24 players from in the 2000s?

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1. Darren Huckerby

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The Welshman though might not be able to stay on at Derby this summer, with the club still struggling to find an owner. It means that the side are unable to offer him a fresh agreement as of yet and with his deal coming to an end, he is likely to leave on a free.

With a player of his calibre available for absolutely nothing, there is now a queue of clubs all lining up to try and secure his signature. There is interest from the Premier League, as well as Scotland, and that means the player will have plenty of options to choose from.

The latest teams to express an interest though all currently reside in the second tier. Watford have been relegated and would no doubt place Lawrence at the forefront of their team in a bid to try and go straight back up. West Brom under Steve Bruce will want to push back towards the play-off spots and would also be able to offer Lawrence regular football.

As for Forest, they have the chance to gain a promotion this weekend – and if they do, then they too could off the 28-year-old regular top flight football. Whatever happens, it looks like the current Derby man has plenty of options over his next club.

The Verdict

Tom Lawrence is a wanted man and with good reason. He has been exceptional for Derby in difficult circumstances and given a different platform to thrive – one which hasn’t been embraced in turmoil – then he could get even better.

In fact, he would no doubt jump at the chance to get into the top flight and test himself there. He’s barely had the chance to grace the Premier League in the past, with the 28-year-old only ever having one start in the top tier before.

Having come on leaps and bounds in his career since then and proven he can be a creative force with a finishing touch at Pride Park, he has earned the chance to have another go in the top flight. It means that if an offer does come in from a Premier League club, you wouldn’t be surprised to see him snub the likes of Watford, West Brom and Forest.

Watford and West Brom would both offer him regular football, of that there is no question, but of the three you’d have to think Forest of the new interested trio would be the best option. They could still get into the Premier League and if they did, they would also give him regular exposure to the top flight.