Brendan Rodgers reveals the truth over Bobby Clark/Celtic transfer talk - It will interest Derby County | OneFootball

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has played down talk the club could sign Salzburg's Bobby Clark, who is on loan at Derby County.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has cooled talk that the Scottish champions will sign Bobby Clark from Salzburg in a £6m transfer in the January window.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder joined the Austrian side from Liverpool last year, but he endured a tough first year abroad, so it was decided that a return to England was best for his development, with Clark joining Derby on loan for the current campaign.

Clark has appeared eight times in the Championship for the Rams this season so far, but is yet to break his goalscoring duck - although he did find the back of the net in an EFL Cup clash with Premier League outfit Burnley recently.

The Rams have signed the player for the season, so it came as a surprise to John Eustace when reports emerged on Thursday stating that Clark would be signing for Celtic in the New Year.

Brendan Rodgers reacts to Bobby Clark, Celtic transfer talk

However, it appears talk of Clark joining the Glasgow giants is wide of the mark, as Rodgers explained his surprise at the development when speaking to Celtic’s media.

“It’s one that’s come from a long way out. I wouldn’t normally say anything on anything, but I really don’t know where that has come from at all. Especially in October. I’m really not sure where that’s come from.”

The Celtic hierarchy have come in for huge criticism from supporters due to their lack of transfer activity in the summer, so they are expected to be active in January as they look to win a fifth title in a row.

That may not include Clark arriving at Parkhead though, with that talk seemingly quashed by the man in charge of the Scottish champions.

Derby County will have high hopes for Bobby Clark this season

It has been a tough start to the season for all connected to Derby, and Clark hasn’t yet shown his quality, as he has failed to score or register an assist in eight games in the league, although he did find the net against Burnley in the cup.

But, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as he has been building his fitness up over the past month or so, and Eustace is still working to find the best formula after a high turnover of players in the summer.

So, they will still expect Clark to come good, and it was a major coup when the club managed to bring him in, as the youngster was very highly-rated when he came through at Liverpool.

Therefore, Rodgers’ comments will be a relief to Derby, as losing him in January would be a blow. Plus, if it had been sorted now, it would be far from ideal if this was hanging over Clark’s head over the next few months.

Now, the focus for Clark will be on helping Derby get some wins on the board, and it’s a case of waiting to see what happens in January when we get there.