Derby County midfielder Max Bird could be set to face a potentially career-defining decision during the January transfer window over where his long-term future should be.

The Rams are in a position where a number of their brightest talents are being eyed up by other clubs and Derby might be forced to cash in on some of those in the winter window in order to relieve some of the financial pressure on the club.

It has already been reported that Bird’s potential availability in January has seen the likes of Premier League Brentford and Norwich City and Championship promotion-chasers West Brom and Bournemouth register an interest. That is already a healthy group of clubs for him to have to chose between should they all come in with offers to tempt Derby into selling. 

However, according to the latest report from Hammers insider ExWHUemployee, West Ham have now become the latest side to register a potential interest in signing Bird ahead of the January transfer window. That comes with David Moyes’ side eyeing up both Jason Knight and Lee Buchanan as well as they aim to take advantage the Rams’ current situation.

Bird has been maturing into a consistent and excellent performer for Derby this season in the Championship and he has become a core part of Wayne Rooney’s squad as they attempt against all odds to mount any sort of survival bid. 

The 20-year-old has managed to score one goal so far this term, but his role has been more about providing energy and stability in the middle of the park. That has seen him make an average of 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, two key passes and 0.9 key passes per game in his 21 league appearances. 

Clearly, Bird is a player that offers a lot to a midfield in terms of the ability to get forwards and also provide protection to the defence. That might make him an ideal long-term option for West Ham to have at the base of their midfield where the likes of Declan Rice and Thomas Soucek have been star performers for the Hammers in the last two seasons. 

The Hammers have had a lot of success recently recruiting from the Championship, with the likes of Jarrod Bown, Craig Dawson and Said Benrahma all becoming key parts of their squad. That shows that Moyes is able to get hold of players from the English second tier and help them grow into his side and deliver at Premier League level. 

There is no doubt that Bird would have to wait patiently for chances at West Ham were he to decide to join the Hammers. However, the midfielder has already developed a lot in the last year or so and therefore is not a million miles away from being able to step up to the Premier League. 

The 20-year-old should therefore make the decision to accept an offer from West Ham should it come his way and they look to be a brilliant option for him to develop in the coming years.