How John Eustace reacted when quizzed on fresh Derby County, Bobby Clark transfer opportunity | OneFootball

John Eustace has weighed in on whether the Rams have a chance of securing a permanent deal for Bobby Clark.

John Eustace has responded to a question about Bobby Clark's future at Derby County, after yet another standout performance from the young loanee on Tuesday evening.

The midfielder scored the winning goal against Charlton Athletic at The Valley, as the Rams ran out 2-1 winners, picking up back-to-back victories in the process.

Clark, who joined RB Salzburg for a reported £10m from Liverpool in August 2024, has featured in all but one of the East Midlands outfit's Championship fixtures, and has now scored three goals in all competitions. Dion Sanderson has called for Derby to sign the 20-year-old, matching the cries of supporters.

The Rams face West Bromwich Albion on Friday evening, as they look to make their way into the play-off places, with a victory seeing Eustace's side climb above Preston North End into sixth, and they will need their number 42 to be at his very best.

John Eustace opens up on Derby County's chances of signing Bobby Clark permanently

Clark has been influential to Derby's climb up the Championship table in the last few months, and without his presence, the team would not be fighting towards the top end of the league.

Bringing the midfielder in as a permanent signing is the wish of many at Pride Park, but when asked if it would take significant investment to sanction a deal, Eustace said (via: Derbyshire Live): "I am sure it would. We'd love to sign him, of course we would, but let's just worry about this season now and let's keep doing our work with him and see him flourish.

"If we could sign him, that'd be fantastic, and, if not, he's had a great season with us. Let's see where it takes us."

Liverpool inserted a 17.5% sell-on clause into the deal to sell Clark to RB Salzburg, and the Austrian side will be extremely keen to bring in as a high fee as possible if they do sell the 20-year-old in the summer. Therefore, Derby may find it tough to sanction a deal while still in the Championship.

Derby County may have ways to fund the signing of Bobby Clark

While there is no denying that Clark would cost the Rams a substantial fee to make a deal permanent, recent interest in both Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Patrick Agyemang could potentially fund a move in the future.

Derby have placed a £15m price tag on Zetterstrom, although they have explicitly said that he is not for sale, while Agyemang is priced at a handsome £20m.

If either player is let go in the summer transfer window, then the Rams may look to bring their loanee in permanently, and they could use some of the cash raised from a sale to sanction that move.

Moreover, David Clowes is looking for investment in the club, and a new owner could potentially start their tenure in the boardroom at Pride Park with a statement by signing Clark.