Derby City are one of three Championship clubs that are set to lodge a bid for Colchester midfielder Sammie Szmodics in the coming days.

The 23-year-old was one of the outstanding players in League Two last season, scoring 14 goals from midfield as well as impressing with his overall contributions to the team.

That was the second very productive campaign that the U's academy graduate has enjoyed, having scored 12 league goals in the season prior to that.

Unsurprisingly, that has attracted attention from several clubs higher up the leagues, with the Sky Sports Transfer Centre (21/06, 20:52) revealing that the Rams, Hull City and Bristol City are set to make offers for the player.

They claim that the fourth tier outfit value Szmodics at around £600,000, although there was no mention of how much the Championship trio will offer initially.

All three clubs are on the lookout for new additions, with the Rams need for a midfielder who can break forward clear after Craig Bryson left for Aberdeen earlier this week.

The Verdict

It's no surprise to see that Szmodics is attracting a lot of interest as he has had two very good years and is clearly ready to make the step up.

As well as that, given his age he should be improving all the time so it could be a shrewd investment from any of the Championship clubs.

You would imagine that Derby and Bristol City would have the edge over Hull given they are more likely to be pushing for promotion but it's about agreeing a fee with Colchester first.

Ultimately though, a move does seem inevitable and it will be interesting to see who lands the exciting talent.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.