Championship duo Derby and Birmingham are in the running to sign Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, according to The Sun.

Begovic is reportedly keen to move away from Bournemouth when he returns from his loan spell at Azerbaijan side Qarabag in January, and it is thought Derby and Birmingham are monitoring the situation alongside Aston Villa and West Ham.

The 32-year-old has fallen out of favour at the Vitality Stadium since making the switch from Chelsea in 2017 - with Aaron Ramsdale now the club's first-choice goalkeeper - and the ex-Stoke man now looks set to depart when the transfer window opens.

It is understood that any prospective loan club would need to pay a significant slice of his £60,000 weekly wage with the Cherries, while it is possible this figure may also price out some potential buyers from the second tier.

Begovic has made 70 appearances since joining Bournemouth more than two years ago, while he has featured 15 times for Qarabag since temporarily joining the club over the summer.

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The Verdict

Begovic may no longer be the number-one choice at Bournemouth, but he is still only 32 and he would surely still be capable of impressing at Championship level with either Derby or Birmingham.

Both these sides will be looking to improve on their defensive records in the second half of the season as they aim to climb towards the play-off places, and Begovic would provide some valuable experience between the sticks to help achieve this.