Derby County are reportedly "very keen" to re-sign Brighton centre-back Matt Clarke on loan but the Premier League club are considering sending him elsewhere. 

Clarke joined the Rams on a season-long loan last summer and was a regular fixture in Phillip Cocu's side – featuring 37 times in total.

The 23-year-old appears to have impressed the East Midlands club as, according to The Athletic, Derby are "very keen" to bring him back on loan for the 2020/21 campaign.

The report claims that the Rams have made that fact known to Clarke, his representatives, and Brighton, but the Seagulls are considering their options at the moment.

It is understood that the Premier League club may look to give him a different loan experience and send him elsewhere next term.

Clarke joined Brighton from Portsmouth in July 2019 but is yet to feature for the South Coast side, who have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to central defenders.

Joel Veltman has been signed this summer, while Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy, Dan Burn, Adam Webster, and the in-demand Ben White are also on their books.

Derby have also signed a Dutch defender ahead of next season with Mike te Wierik having joined from FC Groningen on a pre-contract.

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The Verdict

It's no surprise to hear that Derby are really keen to bring back Clarke, the 23-year-old was impressive last season and the Rams are short on options at centre-back.

Curtis Davies and te Wierik are currently the only options at that position in their squad, though Lee Buchanan has played there at youth level.

You can understand Brighton's stance and you feel they may be hoping that a Premier League club shows an interest.

That said, a return to Pride Park would still be a good move and I think Derby can feel fairly confident they're still in with a chance of making it happen despite this obstacle.