A huge twist in the tale has emerged at Derby County as Bristol City have agreed to sign Max Bird permanently.
There was plenty of noise surrounding the future of Max Bird throughout this window.
The 23-year-old is out of contract at Derby County in the summer and although his future was up in the air, Paul Warne remained intent on keeping him and Eiran Cashin.
Bird has played an integral part in Derby’s push towards promotion, featuring 24 times in League One with three goals and five assists.
Derby did offer their star midfielder a new contract but he wasn’t willing to agree on new terms and perhaps saw himself in the Championship.
While it’s possible that the Rams could be playing second-tier football next season as they are currently four points behind leaders Portsmouth with a game in hand, it appears Bird wants to make that guaranteed step up.
Bristol City agree to sign Max Bird but he will return on loan
The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that Bristol City have agreed to sign the Derby midfielder, though he will remain at Derby for the rest of the season as they attempt to win promotion.
This will put an end to his 14-year association with the club, having graduated through the youth academy before establishing himself in the first team.
Although Warne was desperate to keep one of his star players, Derby couldn’t risk losing him on a free in the summer and had to cash in.
The fact he will remain at the club till June is a huge bonus for the Rams, as it means they have plenty of time to find a replacement and can use some of the money they receive from the Robins to do so.
A bitter blow for Derby
In an ideal world, the Rams would have got promoted and that would have prompted Bird to commit his long-term future to the club.
Unfortunately, it has planned out the opposite of how Warne would have wanted and the board must now draft up a list of replacements ahead of the summer.
Bird has been a crucial player for a long time now and although his form has dipped recently, he couldn’t take the risk of not moving to a Championship club.
It isn’t a guarantee that Derby will get promoted this season and while supporters will ultimately be disappointed at his decision, he can crown his successful career at the club by helping them reach the Championship.