It could be a very busy January transfer window at Derby County as Wayne Rooney looks to strengthen his squad.

Of course, there are factors out of his control that will need to be sorted ahead of the window but it appears the Rams boss is already making plans, with reports claiming that Phil Jones is a target for Derby.

The centre-back is way down the pecking order at Manchester United, so it's expected that he would be allowed to leave in the New Year and the East Midlands outfit are one of up to 13 clubs that have been credited with an interest.

And, here we assess the deal and whether it could happen...

What do we know so far?

Firstly, this is by no means a new link, as it has been suggested for some time that Rooney wanted to bring his former United teammate to Pride Park, so the interest will be genuine.

As well as that, we know Derby's squad is short in key areas and a new centre-back will be a priority in January. So, it's a deal that makes sense from a football perspective and there's no doubt that, providing he stays fit, Jones would be a big improvement on the Rams squad.

Is a transfer likely to happen?

It's certainly going to be complicated from Derby's perspective.

Firstly, before any new arrivals come, they need to get their off-field issues sorted and whilst there is a confidence that a new buyer will sort a deal, the January window is only around eight weeks away.

As well as that, whilst Rooney knows Jones well, there is fierce competition for the player, which supposedly includes Premier League interest. Therefore, convincing him to drop to a relegation-threatened Championship side will be a tough sell.