Three Premier League clubs ready to swoop for Derby ace
Published:
Will Hughes’ Premier League ambitions look set to be realised next season regardless of how Derby County fare in the Championship play-off final.
The Rams have booked a place at Wembley already and are 4/5 to gain promotion but even if they fail to secure a return to the top tier a host of big clubs are ready to pounce.
Here are three clubs jostling to lure the 19-year-old away from the iPro Stadium this summer.
Liverpool – 6/4
Brendan Rodgers has supposedly earmarked Adam Lallana as the man to take his side from runners-up to Premier League champions.
However, a contingency plan is already in place and it comes in the shape of Will Hughes should he miss out on the Southampton man.
The Reds have loaned defender Andre Wisdom to Derby this season and reports suggest that part of that deal is a first option on Hughes should the Rams decide to sell and with the Derby man a boyhood Liverpool fan this is one rumour with serious legs.
Southampton – 6/1
While Hughes is Liverpool’s contingency if they fail to lure Lallana he is also Southampton’s plan B if the Reds succeed.
Much of the Saints success this term has come from Lallana’s energetic and creative displays in the middle of the park.
Hughes will need to up his game before earning fair comparisons with the Brazil-bound Lallana but is young enough and has the raw talent to help Saints build on a superb campaign next year.
Newcastle United – 16/1
The Magpies are expected to take a new direction with regard to transfers for the coming season, eschewing their usual tactic of bulk buying Frenchmen in favour of a more British feel.
This is expected to kick off with the arrival of Celtic’s Fraser Forster and Hughes certainly fits the bill of this new approach.
Newcastle suffered in the second half of the season after losing Yohan Cabaye to PSG and a signing of Hughes’ quality could be just the move to get the Toon Army behind owner Mike Ashley ahead of the new campaign.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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