Derby County have endured a mixed season in terms of their results and performances under Phillip Cocu, with the Rams currently sat in mid-table but still in with a slight chance of a play-off push.

However, one of the main positives that the Rams can take from the campaign so far is that Cocu has been able to successfully bring through some of the club’s most promising young talents, with both Jason Knight and Louie Sibley two players in particular managing to make an impact.

The form of those two players has seen them attract the reported interest of Premier League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, which could potentially see Derby’s ability to keep hold of two of their most encouraging prospects be really tested.

Here then, we take a look at THREE reasons why the Rams must hold firm and reject any Premier League advances for the pair…

Potential for Knight and Sibley’s value to continue to rise

For Derby to cash in on both Knight and Sibley at this stage could potentially be counter-productive, with both players having only just begun to really emerge and develop in the Rams’ first team over the course of the season, while Sibley in particular has only just recently started to earn some starts.

The fact that the two players are already attracting Premier League interest shows just how much potential they have to develop into two high quality first team performers, which means that they could be key to helping Cocu’s side challenge for promotion in the next year or so.

Given the current state of the transfer market, the value of two players with the quality and potential as Knight and Sibley should only continue to rise, as long as they remain fully fit, and were they to spend another full season with the Rams then Derby could have two very high commodity assets on their hands in the near future.

QUIZ: Can you name the player who scored the first Derby County goal in each of the last 16 seasons?

Derby’s need to continue to adapt to new approach

This season there has been a real noticeable shift in the long-term strategy of the way Derby are planning to run the club, with Cocu having been brought into the club to try and help them bring through and develop some of their talented academy prospects.

The Rams do not have the financial power that they have enjoyed in previous years, which allowed them to go and bring in more established players on high wages, and Cocu has so far done a good job in helping to compensate for that by bringing through the likes of Knight and Sibley.

However, for this approach to work and still help Derby have a chance of competing for promotion in the Championship, they will need to show that they have the resolve to keep hold of their talented players for long enough to allow them to build a strong side – and if they sell them this summer it will be very difficult for them to achieve that.

Sending out the right message

Were Derby to hold firm over both Knight and Sibley in the summer it would help to translate a clear message from the club’s hierarchy over the direction they want to take the club in, which would provide hope to the supporters for the long-term vision under Cocu.

It would also likely boost Derby’s ability to attract other players to Pride Park, with the Rams needing to add some extra quality to their squad to help them improve on this season, and players who could be considering a move to the club might well be convinced if they see them hold firm and not cash in on key players.

Therefore, it could be vital for the Rams’ prospects of building on this season, that they managed to hang onto both Knight and Sibley, and if they do they could look back at the end of the next campaign and view it as a real marker for their long-term ambitions.