A former Derby County academy star could now be in line for a Premier League move.
The Rams have been largely successful in bringing exciting prospects through their youth ranks in previous years, with the likes of Eiran Cashin, Max Bird and Louie Sibley currently starring for the senior team.
They have also seen a number of youngsters leave the club in search of bigger opportunities, with Max Lowe currently plying his trade with Sheffield United in the top flight.
There now looks to be yet another player that Derby may have let slip through their grasp, with Archie Brown reportedly attracting interest from a number of clubs across Europe.
According to Daily Mail, the defender is now a target for the likes of Everton and Burnley, as well as clubs from the Championship, Bundesliga and Serie A.
Archie Brown rose up through the youth ranks at Pride Park and really impressed in the UEFA Youth League, but eventually sealed a surprise move to Swiss Super League side FC Lausanne-Sport.
The Rams had offered Brown a new contract but he had rejected the terms, while The Athletic had reported that some at Derby didn’t actually rate him ‘particularly highly’.
Despite a lack of faith in the full-back at Derby, Brown’s success in Switzerland eventually earned him a move to Gent in the summer.
Brown has been a standout performer in the Belgian Pro League and the Europa Conference League. While the report claims he is likely to stay with Gent until at least next summer, he could well find himself back in England next season.
The 21-year-old is also on the radar of Lee Carsley’s England U21 squad, with the former Ram in contention for his first call-up in March.
Is Archie Brown the one that got away?
Archie Brown opted to leave Derby County in 2021, which came as a huge surprise given that he could have been given a chance with the first team. At the time, Wayne Rooney only had 14 senior players under contract at the club.
But with the suggestion that Brown struggled with consistency and a ‘tendancy to get easily frustrated’, Derby couldn’t really do much about his departure.
It will be a frustrating one if he does succeed in the top flight, but it also is another credit to how brilliant the Rams’ academy is. Brown is on a long list of excellent youngsters produced at Moor Farm.