According to a report by TEAMtalk, Derby County are among a trio of Championship clubs keen on signing Aberdeen’s in-form striker Sam Cosgrove.
The report claims the former Everton youth player could leave for £2 million.
Derby are said to have recently sent scouts to watch him in action. And they face competition from the likes of Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic and Brentford.
But who is the Aberdeen man making plenty of noise north of the border?
Parallels to Duncan Ferguson:
Cosgrove came through the Everton youth ranks. At 6ft 2inch, he’s a little shorter than former Everton icon Duncan Ferguson but he does have similar qualities.
MORE DERBY STORIES
The 22-year-old is excellent in the air, and he was part of the Everton academy set-up when Ferguson arrived as a youth team coach. Cosgrove told the Daily Record:
There was all these small kids and playmakers coming through at the time, so he [Duncan Ferguson] took a shine to me and maybe saw a bit of himself in me.
Released by Everton:
The comparisons to Duncan Ferguson only went so far for Cosgrove. He was released by the Toffees and went on to sign a scholarship deal with Wigan Athletic.
Falling down the ladder:
Cosgrove struggled to break in at Wigan. He didn’t make a single appearance for the Championship club and wound up at National League clubs on loan.
He later signed for Carlisle United and made just eight appearances.
Aberdeen’s gamble pays off:
Aberdeen signed Cosgrove in January 2018. Their scouts deserve a huge round of applause, as Cosgrove had little to show on his CV prior to moving to Pittodrie.
The 22-year-old has gone on to score 36 goals in 67 appearances. He has 15 in 17 this season in all competitions. Derby’s reported interest isn’t too surprising.
Potential Everton regret?
Cosgrove told the Scottish Sun in April how he aims to return to the Premier League. While he has some way to go, at 22, he is just getting started.
Cittaceleste claimed Lazio were keen on him in the summer. While those links were dubious, it doesn’t look good for Everton in that they never really gave him a chance on Merseyside.
Also see: Club reportedly want £42m Arsenal man to replace Derby’s confirmed January signing
Also see: International player released by Derby could be in line for shock League Two transfer