John Eustace reacts to Bobby Clark, Celtic transfer update as Derby County exit mooted | OneFootball

Bobby Clark has been linked with a January move away from Derby County

John Eustace has claimed that he has no knowledge of a deal for Bobby Clark’s Derby County loan to be cut short in January so he can move to Celtic.

It was reported by The Times that the midfielder will make the permanent switch to the Scottish giants in the new year in a deal worth £6 million.

It’s been claimed that RB Salzburg will be able to recall the Scot from his loan spell at Pride Park in order to facilitate the move.

Clark made the switch to Derby in the summer after struggling for form in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.

He has made a strong start to life with the Rams, featuring in eight of their opening nine fixtures in the Championship so far this campaign.

John Eustace responds to Bobby Clark transfer speculation

Eustace has claimed that today’s story is the first he’s heard about Clark’s potential exit, indicating that he would like to keep him at the club.

He believes that Derby are doing what they set out to do with the midfielder by giving him a platform to develop, praising his impact in the side since arriving in the summer.

“No, it’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Eustace, via the BBC on X.

“So, that’s interesting, but we certainly don’t want to lose him.

“I think we brought Bobby in to help develop him, to give him a platform to perform and he’s certainly done that up to now — there’s more to come from here.

“I think we’re developing in the right way, but this is the environment and the culture we set here at Derby.

“The players that come are going to be developed properly and it’s great that big clubs like Celtic are looking at him but we don’t want him to go anywhere.”

Clark made his debut for Derby on 12 August in an EFL Cup clash against West Brom, playing 62 minutes in their 1-1 draw.

He has since started five times in the Championship, making a further three appearances off the bench.

The Rams’ agreement with RB Salzburg is for a season-long loan, but it’s possible that he could be recalled in January if a clause was negotiated as part of that deal.

Next up for Derby is a trip to face Oxford United on 18 October in a 3pm kick-off as Eustace’s side seek to end their four game winless run.

Not much Derby can do about possible Bobby Clark sale

Losing Clark in the January window would be a real blow for Derby, as he’s proven an important part of the side since joining on loan.

However, if there is a recall clause in the deal with Salzburg, then there won’t be much the club can do to keep him.

A £6 million offer will be hard for the Rams to match, and the opportunity for the midfielder to sign for Celtic will also prove very difficult to turn down.

This is the issue teams have when loan players become important parts of the squad because they have no control over their immediate futures.