Chelsea will reportedly only have to stump up £5 million in order to prise away teenage star Max Bird from Championship outfit Derby County in the summer.
According to an exclusive report from Football Insider, Derby County have placed a £5 million price tag on Max Bird. The teenage midfielder is reportedly on the radar of Chelsea, with Frank Lampard keen to add him to his fledgling unit of future superstars at Stamford Bridge.
The report entails that Frank Lampard and his assistant Jody Morris were impressed by Bird during their managerial stint at the Championship club last season. In fact, Bird received his senior breakthrough at Derby under Lampard himself, going on to make seven more under the current Chelsea manager.
Max Bird is a teenager that is highly valued at Derby County and regarded as one of the brightest among the bunch. Bird has collected 27 senior appearances to date, with his athleticism in central midfield and in the holding midfield position catching the eye of Chelsea.
Chelsea will have to pay £5m if they want to sign Derby County’s 19-year-old English midfielder Max Bird.
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Frank Lampard has several options in midfield at Chelsea for the holding midfield position and in a three-man midfield setup. But, there is a growing feeling that Chelsea are ready to listen to offers for N’Golo Kante, with the club seemingly thinking this as the correct time to cash in on the French international.
Among others, we could potentially see Ross Barkley being offloaded, with Lampard not really finding the level of consistency he hopes for from the Englishman. Jorginho was previously linked with a return to Serie A and it will be interesting to see how that story develops.
Regardless, 19-year-old Bird would be a youthful addition to a squad that brims of just that. Billy Gilmour has taken to Premier League football with magnificent ease and there is hope that Bird, who managed to impress Lampard at Derby, will follow in the footsteps of Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori and become a regular part of the Chelsea first-team setup.
We may not have any football today but I’m here to remind you all (lest you need reminding) that Max Bird is really, really, really, good!
We’ve got stats, tactical clippings and quotes from Wayne Rooney talking that ??????? talk ?. #dcfcfans https://t.co/mRKalpxyVh
— Ryan Conway (@RJConway92) March 14, 2020
£5 million for a 19-year-old who has two years left on his current deal at Derby County is a steal, more so if the player has already played in the same system under the same manager. Despite his role in the senior team, Bird also has the capability of being a backup for Mount, with the Derby County star known for his attacking prowess in the lower age groups.
Chelsea cannot go wrong with this deal. Derby County will get the valuation they want, provided Chelsea punt in the £5 million and Lampard will add another youngster he has worked closely with and one he can trust.
