Derby County’s Celtic, Rangers transfer fear played down - '£6-7m' demand issued | OneFootball

FLW's Rams Fan Pundit shares his thoughts on the 'crazy' news involving Derry Murkin

With eight league games to go, Derby County are just three points outside the Championship playoff places, in eighth.

One player that will undoubtedly be very important to the Rams' defence during this potential top-six push is deadline day signing Derry Murkin, who has quickly become a fan favourite at Pride Park.

The 26-year-old left-back has certainly impressed since stepping up to replace the injured Callum Elder, especially in the games against Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth, where he managed two assists in the first and helped earn a clean sheet in the latter.

Given the fact that the Dutchman hasn't even been in the East Midlands for two full months yet, the talk of him being wanted by Celtic or Rangers already seems a bit silly.

Nevertheless, as per FootballFanCast, Murkin is reportedly 'on the radars' of both Old Firm teams. FLW's Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, isn't taking this link 'seriously' at all though.

Derby County's Derry Murkin potential exit to Celtic or Rangers labelled 'crazy'

The suggestion from the aforementioned transfer report is that Murkin’s recent form for Derby has been so strong that both Glasgow giants see him as a possible summer solution at left-back...

Which has been immediately played down by Woodward, with the Fan Pundit saying to FLW, "I’m personally not taking this seriously at all. I think if they wanted him they’d have got him initially, when we went in for him.

"Yes, he’s played really well for Derby, but I can’t imagine that just after a handful of games, they’ve all of a sudden decided that they want him," Woodward added.

When you find out that Murkin has only started six Championship games for Derby, it's surely hard to argue with the above words. Also, even Murkin himself said in an interview with DerbyshireLive on the 14th March - in regard to getting playoffs - that "If it's not this season, it'll be next season."

Furthermore, Murkin's contract runs until 2029. So, again, the idea that the Rams would part ways with a player they've just given a long contract to - and spent £1.7m on - seems almost impossible to Woodward.

The Fan Pundit continued with, "He was a good player before we signed him, and he’s come to Derby and been excellent. He’s been one of our standout players in the last half a dozen games, but yeah the talk of him going already is crazy.

"Derby wouldn’t let him go, so I wouldn’t even entertain anything from Celtic or Rangers. He’s got a job to do with Derby to make us solid and help us either get in the playoffs this season or go up next season, so I can’t imagine he’s going to leave already."

Derby County told to keep Derry Murkin 'at all costs' amid Celtic, Rangers interest

For the sake of the argument, Woodward is clear that any prospective transfer fee for Murkin would need to be a big one. "If, for any reason, we did entertain any bids, then it would probably have to be the five, six, seven million mark," he told FLW.

However, the Rams fan stressed that money doesn't matter when it comes to someone of Murkin's quality, claiming, "He clearly is a talented lad, and they’re not easy to get hold of, these types of full-backs. So yeah, money doesn’t really matter because there’s not much out there like him at Championship."

Woodward concluded with, "We need to keep hold of him at all costs, really, but I don’t buy into any of it if I'm totally honest. I can’t see him going anywhere at the moment."

Ultimately, selling in the summer would mean Derby immediately having to dive back into a notoriously tricky market for left-backs. So it suggests more than anything that Derby's recruitment team have found another hidden gem.