Derby County are interested in signing Marcus Maddison on a free transfer, according to Football Insider.

The Rams have already strengthened their defensive options this summer ahead of next season, with Mike te Wierik, David Marshall and Matt Clarke sealing moves to Pride Park.

Phillip Cocu will now be looking to add more firepower to his side, with free agent Marcus Maddison reportedly on the club's radar.

Quiz: Can you name where each of these 14 ex-Derby County players are playing now?

Maddison is without a club after leaving Peterborough United upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last season - the 26-year-old scored 62 goals and produced 92 assists in 249 appearances for the Posh.

The attacking midfielder sealed a move to the Championship in January, with Hull City taking him on loan for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.

But Maddison's time at the KCOM Stadium didn't go to plan, and after scoring one goal in seven appearances for the Tigers, they chose not to extend his deal following their relegation down to League One.

Football Insider now claim, though, that a host of clubs including Derby County, FC Cincinnati and Zulte Waregem are interested in taking a chance on Maddison, who is available to sign on a free transfer.

Derby have been linked with Maddison in the past, and now he's available to sign for nothing, it will be interesting to see whether they look to land his signature or not.

The Verdict

I don't think Derby should be looking to pursue Maddison this summer.

He's 26 years of age now but hasn't really proved himself above League One, and he didn't really turn heads during his brief spell at Hull in the Championship last term.

They have plenty of young players coming through the ranks including playmaker Louie Sibley, and I think they should invest their time in developing him rather than sign a hit-and-miss player in Maddison.