Derby County are struggling to tie Tom Huddlestone down to a new deal, with the midfielder rejecting the club’s initial offer to keep him at Pride Park heading into 2020/21.  

Huddlestone has been back with the Rams since the start of the 2017/18 campaign and has made 90 appearances in his second spell at Pride Park.

However, his deal is set to expire at the end of this month and Derby are having difficulties tying him down to fresh terms.

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The Athletic report how Huddlestone, now 33, has rejected Derby’s initial offer for him to stay, which was a 12-month deal with a year’s option in the club’s favour at the end of that.

It is also stressed that Huddlestone is open to something a little longer-term, with a two-year deal and a focus on coaching heading into 2021/22.

This season, Huddlestone has managed 12 appearances across all competitions under Phillip Cocu, with his role under the Dutchman lessening.

He last featured in a game in Derby’s 1-0 win over Hull City on January 18^th, with Wayne Rooney’s arrival and the subsequent emergence of Max Bird lessening the need for Cocu to lean on Huddlestone’s involvement.

The Verdict  

The fact that Derby have been in negotiations with Huddlestone tells you that they obviously want him to stay with the club, despite the fact they are well stocked in terms of midfielders.

If they are desperate for him to stay, they might need to bow to his demands, but given how his game time is lessening and lessening, you can maybe understand why they don’t want to bang two years down on the table.

The next move will have to be Derby’s and it will be interesting to see whether they are really that keen to have Huddlestone on board moving forwards.

Thoughts? Let us know!