Exclusive: Sky pundit reacts as Celtic plot £6m transfer - it's a 'massive blow' for Derby County | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie warns of the unwanted worry it will cause the Rams' manager John Eustace

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie warns that Derby County and manager John Eustace will be dealt a huge setback if midfielder Bobby Clark completes his anticipated £6m move to Celtic in January.

The 20-year-old midfielder joined Derby on a season-long loan from RB Salzburg in August, becoming the Rams' ninth signing of the summer transfer window.

However, reports from The Times have indicated that Clark is set to cut short his temporary spell at Pride Park to secure a permanent switch to the Scottish champions when the winter window opens.​

Eustace has made clear his desire to keep Clark at Pride Park for the remainder of the season despite the growing speculation.

When asked about Celtic's reported interest, the Derby boss admitted it was the first he had heard of any potential deal but stressed the importance of the youngster to his plans - which Hendrie echoes below.

Lee Hendrie warns of disruption to Derby County's season if Bobby Clark leaves for Celtic

Speaking exclusively to FLW on the situation, Hendrie acknowledged the damaging impact Clark's departure would have on Derby's Championship campaign.

"It would be a massive blow for Derby and John Eustace, there’s no doubt, with Bobby Clark set to leave the football club in January," Hendrie explained.

The Sky Sports pundit recognised that while Derby will have time to adjust and identify potential alternatives before the window opens, the disruption will remain a concern for a club battling near the foot of the Championship table.

"Listen, it gives them time to adjust, to look elsewhere, but yeah - I do feel that when you've got a player that you're looking to build or maybe have throughout the season, you have to start looking a little further ahead," Hendrie added.

Disregarding how some Rams fans may view Clark's performances on the pitch, Hendrie's initial words do somewhat echo that of Eustace's from Thursday.

Eustace BBC Radio Derby, "we brought him in to help develop him and give him a platform to perform and he's certainly done that up until now."

Unwanted "worry" for John Eustace at Derby County now looming

Hendrie highlighted the unique difficulty posed by a January departure, noting that Derby had expected - or are still expecting - Clark to be part of their squad for the entire campaign following the closure of the summer transfer window.

"That's where with the transfer window closing, you know you usually feel you're secure and you haven't got to start worrying about that - whereas now there'll be a worry for John Eustace - particularly in the situation they're in," the former midfielder stated.

There’s no denying that the circumstances surrounding Derby this season have already been challenging for Eustace, who, of course, saved the club from relegation on the final day of last season after joining in February.

Injuries have plagued the squad so much that only up until now are we seeing Derby in the possible position to field their 'strongest eleven' and even that will still be without left-back Owen Beck, who has suffered another set-back with his hamstring.

The likes of Sondre Langås, Rhian Brewster, and Corey Blackett-Taylor are back training with the squad at the bare minimum, so we could perhaps see results start to pick up when they're all fit and firing.

Furthermore, after their first win of the season against West Bromwich Albion in September, Eustace did mention that finding consistency would be crucial - especially given the number of new arrivals adapting to Championship football.

Which shows that losing Clark midway through the campaign would be another disruption to that process, and probably why the former Birmingham City boss knows that "the key point is that Bobby remains our player for now, and we will keep developing him while he continues to excel for us."

So, as Hendrie warned, the loss of Clark in January could prove to be a big blow for the East Midlands outfit, and it might feel like a waste of effort from everyone involved.