Don’t Want To Lose Him To Celtic – Derby County Boss Addresses Transfer Talk | OneFootball

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Derby County boss John Eustace has responded to rumours linking Bobby Clark with a winter window move to Celtic, insisting that he does not want the midfielder to leave.

Clark, who is on loan at the Championship club from Red Bull Salzburg, has featured in all but one game for the Rams since his move to Pride Park.

His performances appear to have been looked at closely by Scottish champions Celtic, who are being linked with a permanent move for him in January.

Celtic’s summer transfer activity did not impress their fans and now they are expected to make efforts in January to rectify that.

Clark could be one of those to start things off, as it has been suggested Celtic are looking to land him on a permanent deal from Red Bull Salzburg.

If a bid is accepted, Red Bull Salzburg would have to cut short the midfielder’s loan spell in England to sell him.

Eustace is clear though that he has no desire to lose Clark, especially midway through the season.

Asked about a possible move to Celtic for Clark, Eustace replied to BBC Radio Derby: “It’s the first I have heard of it.

“We do not want to lose him because we brought him in to help develop him and give him a platform to perform and he’s certainly done that up until now.

“It’s great that big clubs like Celtic are looking at him, but we certainly don’t want him to go there.”

January, Eustace feels, is still a fair way off and he is aiming to give Clark more minutes to assess his performances.

“January is a long way away and I’m not worried about that.

“Let’s keep giving him some important minutes and see how his performances are between now and then.”

Eustace may be banking on the fact that Clark is happy to play regularly in the Championship and reluctant to switch clubs mid-season.

Celtic also do not have the lure of Champions League football to offer to the Red Bull Salzburg man.