Derby County's Bobby Clark transfer reality - He might cost £10m and be out of the 'price range' | OneFootball

Bobby Clark has enjoyed an excellent loan spell with Derby County this season

Derby County have bounced back from a poor start to the campaign to catapult themselves into the top six conversation, with the Rams still in strong contention for a place in the play-offs come May.

It was a busy summer at Pride Park, fresh off the back of securing survival on the final day of last campaign, with head coach John Eustace overseeing a mass overhaul to Derby's squad.

Some 13 players joined over the summer, including the permanent acquisitions of the likes of Patrick Agyemang, Lewis Travis, Carlton Morris, Max Johnston and Rhian Brewster.

The Rams filled out their loan spots too, with Dion Sanderson, Owen Beck, David Ozoh, and Ben Brereton Diaz all joining the club for the campaign.

Many had tipped Derby for a strong season, and while that has sufficed, just one win in their first ten league games no doubt had alarm bells ringing.

Now, they look well-placed for a play-off spot come May, and whether or not they find themselves in the Premier League next season or not, they have been backed to make a permanent move for one of their loan stars in the summer.

Derby County told to go for Bobby Clark's signature permanently this summer

Former Liverpool attacking midfielder Bobby Clark joined Derby on loan in the summer from Austrian side RB Salzburg, having struggled to make an impact in his first year abroad.

Since his switch, he has been an almost ever-present in the side, proving to be an excellent addition by Eustace, who is being told to explore a permanent deal in the summer.

Football League World's Derby fan pundit, Shaun, has shared their thoughts on whether they would like to see Clark move to the club permanently in the summer, and whether he's an affordable target for the Rams.

Shaun said: "I would love us to try and make Bobby Clark a permanent signing in the summer. I just think he might be out of our price range at the moment.

"I think they'll probably be looking for £5-10 million for him. And also, depending on his ambition, he'll probably want to go to a Premier League side. And I wouldn't blame him either.

"I think he's thrived at Derby this season. He's got better as the season's gone on. He's a really exciting prospect. He's only going to get better as he gets older and plays with better players.

"So yeah, I'd love to see us get in permanently, but I don't think it will happen. And I think we should probably be prepared for that. And I think Sammie Szmodics could fit into that role if Bobby Clark leaves. And then I do think maybe having the two of them on the same side for balance isn't the best thing.

"So I think actually long term, Szmodics could be a good option in there, but I would love to have seen this get Clark. But I do think he's got a brighter future than Derby, as much as I hate to say that, being a Derby fan. So yeah, he's been excellent for us. And like I said, I don't think we're going to be able to afford him."

Derby County boss John Eustace may be priced out of a permanent move for Bobby Clark

Indeed, whilst Derby would likely love to have the 21-year-old back at the club permanently, a deal for Clark will not come cheap.

He joined RB Salzburg for a fee of £10 million from Liverpool in the summer of 2024, and although he has struggled to make an impact in Austria, the club, notorious for its exceptional ability to develop and sell players, will not want to welcome a significant loss for the Englishman.

Under contract with Salzburg until the summer of 2029, the Austrian outfit is under no obligation to sell Clark for cheap, and they will likely seek to maximise a potential fee should they be open to a sale.

Derby are unlikely to stump up anywhere close to an eight-figure fee for Clark, putting a permanent move to Pride Park in serious doubt.

Whether a move in the summer is a possibility remains to be seen, though for any switch to happen, it would require Salzburg to take a not-so-significant loss, something which, at this moment, is unclear whether they would be willing to do.