Derby County are in the market for a new midfielder in January as Max Bird continues to get linked with a move away from the club.
Max Bird has been in sensational form for Derby this season.
The 23-year-old has weighed in with two goals and three assists from midfield in 19 League One appearances.
With the Rams embarking on an assault towards promotion, Warne is desperate to keep his best players at the club, though he could find it difficult to keep Bird.
He is out of contract in June and has not yet signed a new deal, despite Derby putting fresh terms on the table.
Championship high flyers Hull City have shown the most interest in the midfielder with manager Liam Rosenior keen to lure him to East Yorkshire.
If he does depart, Derby have already drafted up a list of replacements, including West Ham United midfielder Conor Coventry and Reading star Charlie Savage.
Whilst those two are talented operators, Warne should scribble them out from the list and instead go for Hull City midfielder Greg Docherty, which could see Bird go in the other direction.
Charlton and Bristol Rovers want Greg Docherty
According to journalist Darren Witcoop, Charlton and Bristol Rovers are two of several League One sides who are interested in Docherty and he expects more to join the race for his signature.
The former Rangers star is yet to start for Hull in the Championship this term as a result of the instrumental partnership that Jean Michael Seri and Tyler Morton have built up in the engine room.
However, the 27-year-old was one of the top performers for the Tigers when they won promotion to the Championship in 2021, and would be a better addition than Charlie Savage.
Why Derby should sign Docherty instead of Savage
Docherty is quintessentially a box-to-box midfielder.
He possesses the upper body strength, speed and running power to glide across the pitch and cover every blade of grass.
Once described as a ‘machine’ by his former manager Grant McCann, Docherty is someone who can grab a game by the scruff of the neck by driving at his opponents and flying into tackles while serving up quality in the final third.
During his time on loan at Shrewsbury Town in the 2018/19 season, the Scottish star produced seven goals and eight assists from midfield.
In Hull’s title-winning campaign in 2021, he weighed in with five goals and five assists, underscoring his impact further forward.
When comparing that to Savage, for instance, the Manchester United academy graduate has only made 38 appearances at this level and doesn’t boast the experience that the Hull man offers.
The 20-year-old is learning his trade at this level, whereas Docherty has been there, done it and got the t-shirt.
If Derby are looking for an experienced midfielder who can help them in their quest for promotion, they don’t come much better than Docherty at this level.