Derby County have rejected an offer from Hull City for young midfielder Max Bird.
It was revealed earlier today that the Tigers had lodged a bid for the Derby star, but DerbyshireLive claim the offer has already been rejected.
Hull’s offer was ‘derisory’ according to the report, with the fee proposed falling significantly short of the Rams’ valuation.
Derby are supposedly under no pressure to sell the 22-year-old despite him entering the final year of his contract.
Tigers boss Liam Rosenior is eyeing a reunion with Bird, and is expected to return with another offer – seemingly it would have to be a drastic improvement.
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Hull still believe they have a good chance of securing a deal for the midfielder given his contract situation with the Rams, though Derby may stand firm on this one having already seen Jason Knight depart to Bristol City.
Club captain Curtis Davies was not a regular under Paul Warne last season, meaning Bird often donned the captain’s armband and established himself as a leader within an experienced squad.
Showing maturity beyond his years, the midfielder showed clear signs of progression in the third division and has continued to excel in pre-season – he has been tipped for a big year with the Rams.
Bird praise
Bird, recently labelled an ‘unbelievable player‘ by first-team coach Matt Hamshaw, made 48 appearances for Derby last season as Warne’s men fell just shy of a play-off spot on the final day of the season.
Since his debut as a 16-year-old in 2017, he has made 161 appearances for the club and never spent time away on loan, so quitting Pride Park would be a big transition. However, his relationship with Rosenior would no doubt aid the time it would take him to settle in.
It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the next few days.