Derby County have made their stance on midfielder Max Bird clear amid interest from Championship clubs in this transfer window.
Derby are in the mix for the automatic promotion places in League One and a return to the Championship.
Despite losing 3-2 against promotion rivals Peterborough United on New Year’s Day, the Rams are still only five points behind second-place Bolton Wanderers.
Paul Warne’s side arrive in the transfer window with promotion looking like a real possibility and the Derby boss will want to strengthen their chances of achieving that aim rather than weakening them.
With that stance made clear, Warne wants to bolster his playing squad in January all while keeping his best players at the club.
Max Bird and Eiran Cashin, in particular, have both been regularly linked with moves away from Pride Park, but now an update has emerged on the future of the former.
Derby insist that Max Bird isn’t for sale
Bird has attracted interest from Championship clubs.
In the summer, Derby swatted away multiple bids from Liam Rosenior’s Hull City with Warne revealing that their offer was “nowhere near” their valuation of the player.
With Rosenior keen to link up with a player he worked with during his spell at both as a coach, assistant manager and then interim manager, the Rams will struggle to hold onto him this January.
Bird is out of contract with the League One club in the summer and has not yet signed a new deal, despite the Rams putting fresh terms on the table in a bid to keep the 23-year-old midfielder at the club.
Although it’s looking likely that he could depart, journalist Darren Witcoop has revealed Derby’s stance on the player: “he isn’t for sale.”
Should Derby sell Max Bird?
After not agreeing to sign a new deal at Pride Park, Bird is seemingly hedging his bets on playing Championship football sooner rather than later.
Unlike in the summer when Derby held all of the power over his future, that has now shifted across to the clubs chasing his signature.
Given he’s out of contract in June 2024, Warne is powerless in the situation.
He wants to build on the squad he already has, but selling Bird – instead of losing him on a free transfer – could free up funds to invest in multiple positions.
Of course, the 23-year-old has been vitally important to his side’s push for promotion, but it’s difficult to stand in the way of a player who wants to progress in his career.
The prospect of linking back up with Rosenior probably appeals to Bird and that could see him depart in January, despite Warne showing how desperate he is to keep him.