Derby County defender Mike te Wierik appears set to leave the club in January, judging by the Dutchman’s latest comments.
The 28-year-old is currently way down the pecking order at Pride Park, having arrived in the summer on a free transfer from FC Groningen.
To date he has only made four appearances in the Championship and two in the EFL Cup.
His last appearance came at Bournemouth, and he hasn’t made a matchday squad since the QPR game at the start of November.
The situation has led to speculation about an early departure, despite him signing a three-year deal, and it seems there is a good chance of that given what he’s had to say.
Breaking his silence in an interview with Fox Sports, he said: “I said there must be a solution and the club knows that. My agent is working on it and a number of clubs have already signed up.”
There has been some talk recently about te Wierik potentially heading back to the Netherlands, which is something he is very open to.
“Fortuna, FC Groningen and another club? Yes, something like that. For me, the Netherlands is one hundred percent an option,” he added.
“I had a great time there. It’s about playing football and if you can see your family more often. that is certainly a plus.”
With these comments, the likelihood of te Wierik remaining with the Rams beyond January seems slim.
Of course, it as another thing actually getting a deal done, but he certainly seems set on starting a new chapter.
Under Wayne Rooney, the Derby defence has been much more solid and there just doesn’t appear to be a way back in for te Wierik.