Hull City are expected to return for Derby County midfielder Max Bird in January, says Hull Live, after failing to land him in the summer.
Hull City boss Liam Rosenior plotted a raid on his former club in the summer, attempting to bring in midfielder Bird.
The Tigers tried and failed with multiple bids and Bird remains at Pride Park where his current contract is set to expire next summer.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the Rams will offer a new deal to Bird and to teammate Eiran Cashin who is also in the final year of his contract, though Derby hold a one year option in Cashin’s deal.
Now, it’s said that Rosenior’s Hull City will try again for Bird in January.
What’s been said about Max Bird to Hull City?
An emerging report from Hull Live claims that Rosenior remains a big fan of Bird, who he obviously worked with during his time at Derby County.
Their report states that Hull City ‘expected to test Derby’s resolve’, and also, rather interestingly, that Bird was keen on a move to Hull City in the summer, and he remains so.
The 23-year-old is a Derby County academy graduate having made his first-team debut in 2017, going on to rack up 176 total appearances for the club with 11 of those coming in League One this season.
Bird missed part of the start of the campaign but has since scored two and assisted three more in the league for Paul Warne‘s side, who currently sit in 7th.
After Derby’s Carabao Cup defeat vs Blackpool in August, Warne hinted that Bird and some other may well have been distracted by transfer rumours in the summer, saying:
“I feel like, possibly, a couple of my players have had their heads turned. I just feel like they think there’s a potential move or something. I just don’t know, it feels a bit strange to me really.”
Can Derby County keep hold of Bird?
After several years with Derby County, and a lot of ups and downs, it may finally be time for Bird to fly the nest.
He’s been a very loyal servant to the club and he’ll always be a credit to their academy system. But with his contract out next summer, and with Derby so far struggling to get near the automatic promotion spots, a Championship move in January may well be the next best step for Bird.
That may well be his thinking and if Hull City come in for him in January then it could be difficult for both him and Derby to turn down; especially if Bird doesn’t sign new terms before then.
The Rams won’t want to lose him for nothing next summer, no matter whether they’re in a promotion race or not this season, so it could make financial sense to cash in.
Derby County will still want a god deal, though, so he won’t come cheap for Hull City.
But it certainly seems like a January exit is a real possibility for Bird.