Chelsea are said to be interested in signing Derby County midfielder Max Bird according to Football Insider. 

The report claims that Frank Lampard and his assistant Jody Morris have been impressed with the midfielder's performances this season for the Rams.

Bird has made 18 senior appearances in total for Derby this season, and has established himself as a regular in the Derby starting XI under the management of Phillip Cocu.

He made eight first team appearances in total for Derby last season whilst Lampard was in charge, and the Blues boss is seemingly keen to work with the midfielder again in the near future.

Derby are currently sat 12th in the Championship table, and will be hoping they can force themselves into the top-six before this year's campaign reaches a conclusion.

Bird has started in 12 of the Rams' last 13 league matches, which shows how highly Cocu rates him in the heart of the Derby midfield.

Due to recent off-the-field events, the EFL have announced that fixtures won't get back underway until it is deemed safe enough to do so.

Bird could be faced with a tricky decision over his future in the summer though, with Chelsea's interest likely to heighten if he can continue to impress towards the conclusion of this season.

Can you score full marks in this Derby County quiz? 

The Verdict: 

This would be a smart bit of business by the Blues.

Bird has really impressed me this season, and his performances have often gone under the radar alongside Wayne Rooney in the Derby midfield.

But he's got age on his side, and breaks up the play well for Derby. I think he's got a big future ahead of him, and a move to Chelsea will be a tempting proposition for the youngster.

He's previously worked with Frank Lampard as well, and if Bird can be given first-team assurances in the next year or so, then I wouldn't be surprised if he left Derby in the summer transfer window.