Derby County manager Wayne Rooney says that Tom Lawrence ‘wants to’ play for the Rams and wants to play under his watch, amid emerging transfer links to the Premier League.
Lawrence, 28, has been a standout player for the Rams this season. His 10 goals and five assists in 34 Championship outings has given Derby County a shot at Championship survival this season, but reports have consistently linked him with a move away from the club.
Earlier this month, reports surfaced suggesting that Premier League duo Brighton and Norwich City were looking into a deal for the Welshman, with West Brom also reigniting their interest ahead of the summer transfer window.
Speaking on Lawrence’s future though, Rooney told DerbyshireLive:
“With Tom [Lawrence], and rightly so, there is interest from other clubs because he has performed so well.
“Where we are at we almost have to wait to see what division we are in in terms of financially what we can do, and that is something I will be going through over the next week with Chris [Kirchner].
“I know Tom wants to play for this football club, he wants to play for me, so it is one which we will have to wait over the next few weeks to see where it gets to.”
Do Derby County have a chance of keeping Lawrence?
If the Rams can get a takeover completed before the end of the season then there’s every chance they could keep hold of Lawrence beyond this summer.
The Welshman appears to have good relationship with the Derby County supporters and if Rooney remains in charge for what will likely be a League One campaign next time round, then it could see a lot of their players stay on board.
But money talks and if the likes of Norwich City or West Brom can table a good deal for Lawrence ahead of the summer, and Derby’s takeover situation remains unchanged, then he might take that oppurtunity.
