Derby County told to prepare for potential ‘gutting’ Bobby Clark, Celtic blow | OneFootball

Derby County fan pundit Shaun told FLW that losing Bobby Clark would be a big blow for the team.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County have been told that losing Bobby Clark in January would be a big blow after the midfielder was previously linked with a move to Celtic.

The Rams completed the signing of Clark on a season-long loan from Salzburg in the summer, and, after a slow start, he has quickly become a key player for John Eustace’s side.

However, even though Derby reached an agreement to keep the 20-year-old for the entire campaign, the Midlands outfit have been coy about whether there is a recall clause, and it had been suggested in October that Celtic were pushing to sign Clark for £6m in the New Year, which indicates Salzburg can cash in on the player.

Bobby Clark would be difficult to replace for Derby County after impressive loan spell

So, the situation could be out of Derby’s hands, and it may be a case of waiting to see if there are any developments when the window opens.

When asked by FLW about the prospect of Clark moving on in January, Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward admitted it would be a setback for Eustace, as he praised the impact of the former Liverpool academy lad after finding his best position in the team.

“Since the likes of David Ozoh and Lewis Travis have been out, it has forced us to play Clark in central midfield, and he has really thrived.

“He is a forward-thinking player who tries to get in those little pockets, and to try and find those passes between the lines, so that role has really suited him.

“Some fans were a bit worried that he’d be a bit too lightweight, but he has revelled in it, and it’s looked like his best position since he came to Derby.

“He has shown what he can do, and, unfortunately for Clark, he hasn’t got a lot of players around him with the same quality, so he’s often looking for those passes when players aren’t making those runs, or they’re not quite with him. I do think in a better side he would be better.

“I wouldn't blame him for wanting to go to Celtic, as they offer European football and they’re chasing titles. It would be gutting because he would be a big miss, and he’d be hard to replace, as we do lack numbers in that midfield role.

“But, I wouldn’t blame him if he did go, it’s a risk you take when you bring in loan players. So, it would be sad to see him go, as he has had a really good couple of months for us.”

Bobby Clark is benefiting from his time with Derby County

Clark was always highly-rated coming through at Liverpool, and it appeared the move to Salzburg would give him the chance to play regularly.

For whatever reason, that didn’t really happen, so this season was a crucial one in Clark’s development, and he has certainly benefited from joining Derby.

Eustace has found a role for Clark in his best XI, and he is bringing a lot to the team with the way he can progress the ball up the pitch, and he also has a touch of quality that others in the Derby side lack.

So, most would agree that he would be a big loss, and you would expect that the recruitment team at Pride Park have plans in place in case they are seeking a replacement at any point in January.

But, Salzburg and Clark will be pleased with how this season is going, so it would need to be an attractive offer for both the Austrian outfit and the player for him to depart mid-season, and it will be intriguing to see how this develops next month.