Derby County's joint administrator Carl Jackson has told Derbyshire Live that selling players isn't the club's priority right now as they continue to search for a buyer. 

The Rams are currently cut well adrift in the league and appear to be staring a likely relegation in the face as they continue to fight hard against the odds.

Off the field they are desperately looking to reach an agreement for the club to be sold in order for business involving players to be facilitated during the upcoming January transfer window.

However any suggestions that there could be a fire sale of players at Pride Park in the new year have been played down recently by Jackson who stated the following:

"We will keep an open mind on that. We don't see that as our priority at the moment. Our priority at the moment is to actually land on a preferred buyer, get our deals done, if I can call it that, with HMRC and others, and put a proposal together.

"We will see what the timing looks like on that and we will form a view on transfers."

Various players have already been linked with moves away from the club, including their captain Tom Lawrence.

The player himself recently admitted that he would be open to moving on if it meant that it was best for the club financially.

The Verdict 

Much of what Derby are planning for the future hinges on the club finding an agreement with a new buyer, as until that happens they are stuck at stage one.

It is a really desperate time for the Rams and their misery will have been further compounded recently after they lost in the dying minutes against QPR in the league, thus pushing them further into relegation trouble.

Nevertheless Wayne Rooney and his players are continuing to fight hard against the odds and their professionalism must be admired.

The hope will be now that a buyer can be found this side of the new year.