How Bobby Clark feels about Rangers transfer in early Derby County blow | OneFootball

Bobby Clark is the subject of interest from Rangers this summer in what could be a huge blow for Derby County

Derby County's late push for a place in the Championship top six ended in disappointment, with the Rams resigned to another year in the second tier after a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United on the final day, condemning them to the second tier for the next campaign.

Whilst Derby's year ended with the Rams falling at the final hurdle, there is a lot to be optimistic about at Pride Park heading into next season.

This time one year ago, Derby had just crawled to a goalless draw with Stoke City on the final day to just about secure safety on the final day, and now, they see themselves climbing a mighty 11 positions up the division to just miss out on the play-offs on the final day.

John Eustace has done a wonderful job since taking the post at Pride Park, and will be heading into the summer window with the backing of the board and a huge degree of intent, with the former Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City boss already outlining his plans to bring back some of his loan stars permanently over the coming months.

David Ozoh, Jayden Banel, Sammie Szmodics, Ben Brereton Diaz, and Bobby Clark have all impressed to varying degrees with the Rams since joining on loan, with Clark in particular an almost ever-present for Eustace, who may now face competition from north of the border for his signature this summer.

Derby County face Rangers threat in pursuit of permanent Bobby Clark deal

Bobby Clark joined Derby on loan in the summer until the end of the season, in what was viewed as a real coup by the Rams.

Having come through the academy at Liverpool, the Geordie made just 14 first-team appearances for the Reds before joining Austrian side RB Salzburg in the summer of 2024 for £10 million, following former Liverpool assistant and current Manchester City assistant boss Pepijn Lijnders across Europe.

However, Clark struggled for game time in Austria, making just 17 league appearances for the Red Bulls in his only year in Austria, and was allowed to leave on loan to the Championship with Derby this summer.

Since then, the midfielder has made 42 league appearances in Rams colours, scoring three and assisting four, with his performances endearing him to the Pride Park faithful, but at the expense of interest from elsewhere.

Now, Scottish giants Rangers are reportedly interested in striking a 'cut-price' deal, as per TEAMtalk, with Clark said to be keen on a move to Glasgow, as discussions between the two clubs go on via intermediaries.

Rangers' interest comes as a huge blow to Derby, unsurprisingly, with the Gers looking to secure Champions League football for next year, currently embroiled in a hotly-contested title battle with Hearts and Celtic.

Missing out on Clark would throw a huge spanner in the works for Eustace's preparations for next season, having struck up an excellent relationship with the midfielder during his time at the club.

Derby were likely expecting competition for his signature, which, whilst not ideal, is not the end of the world, as they should be quietly confident about his return.

John Eustace must remain confident that Derby can beat Rangers in the hunt for Bobby Clark's signature

With Rangers emerging as contenders for Clark's signature, Eustace must remain confident that his side can pip the Scottish outfit to his signature.

Clark himself has previously opened up on his delight of representing Derby, saying: "Obviously, I've had the conversations with them (Derby).

"I've loved every minute of it here, working under the gaffer and playing under these fans with these players.

"I've loved it, and I'd love to play for Derby again, but there are a lot of things happening in the process to do that.

"All I can say from my end is I've loved it here and I'd love to play here again. We'll just have to see what happens.

Meanwhile, Eustace has also expressed his desire to bring the 21-year-old back to England this summer, saying: "I certainly hope so. Why not?", when asked about the prospect of bringing him back.

He said: "We want to progress, we want to build, we want to grow the football club, and we want to keep as many of our top players as we can and Bobby's certainly one of them.

"I think everyone connected with Derby can see how well he's done, and he's really part of the family, and we'd love to continue with his development."

Derby will remain favourites for his permanent capture despite Rangers' interest, but should the Scottish side offer better terms to the midfielder, there is the possibility his head could be turned, given he's keen on Glasgow.

Where he will be playing his football next year remains to be seen, as with Rangers joining the race, Clark's future is thrown into more doubt, much to the dismay of Derby.