Derby County are bracing themselves for bids in January for midfielder Darren Robinson.
According to Pete O’Rourke from Football Insider, Premier League club Aston Villa and Championship side Southampton are both ‘plotting bids’ for the 18-year-old.
It is said that both clubs are ‘long-term admirers’ of Robinson, who is highly rated at Derby.
He has won Derby’s Scholar of the Year award for the last two seasons, after impressing for the Rams’ academy sides.
Losing Robinson would be blow for Derby
Losing Robinson would be a blow for Paul Warne and Derby.
The Northern Ireland under-21 international is one of Derby’s best prospects to come through the academy.
He made his first start for the first team this season for the Rams on Wednesday night in their 4-1 victory over Wolves U21s in the EFL Trophy.
Although primarily a defensive midfielder, Robinson showed his versatility and played at centre back on the night on the right-hand side of a back three, and performed well, being described as ‘tidy’.
He was one of three players to be given their first starts, with Adebayo Fapetu and Dajaune Brown also given a chance to impress.
Whilst Collins will take all the plaudits for his hat-trick, Robinson really ran the show. He was given a 7.4/10 rating on SofaScore.
His performance gave Warne something to think about, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, he may need to think about giving him a new contract before it is too late.