Premier League duo Burnley and Leeds United are both considering launching an offer for Derby County midfielder Jason Knight according to The Times, with the Rams prepared to cash in on one of their most valuable assets.

This news comes after the East Midlands side accepted a bid from Wigan Athletic for Graeme Shinnie, an offer that was reported by The Sun's Alan Nixon to be in the region of £30,000 - a shock to many Derby fans who had previously heard that there was no need to sell players this month.

However, the Rams are yet to name a preferred bidder in their quest to get out of administration and this is largely due to a dispute between the club and EFL duo Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers, both of whom are demanding compensation.

Boro believe Wayne Rooney's side cost them a potential stab at promotion, with Wycombe feeling aggrieved after being relegated last season as they finished narrowly below Derby.

With this issue yet to be resolved and a preferred bidder not named, the EFL have placed the current relegation battlers under a fresh transfer embargo after failing to a deadline to find a new potential owner, despite being desperate to recruit new additions.

This may result in Knight, who has been one of the first names on the teamsheet this season, being sold with the club needing to prove they have the sufficient funds to survive for the coming months.

Burnley and Leeds are thought to be weighing up moves for the talented Irishman, who has played both out wide and in the middle of the park for Rooney's men this season.

It is thought that Newcastle United are also monitoring the situation around Knight, who is apparently valued at £8million by the Rams.

The Verdict:

This is another sucker punch in what has been a week of multiple severe blows for the strugglers - but they are refusing to give up and fought extremely well yesterday to claim an impressive 2-0 win over Sheffield United.

However, the likes of Shinnie and Knight have played a huge role in this and their potential departures, with the former almost certain to leave, may give Rooney's side too much of a mountain to climb in their quest for survival.

With each passing week, it's looking more and more possible that they can survive and these hopes were boosted further after climbing above Barnsley in the table yesterday.

But their departures, especially Shinnie's, would leave the squad looking even more inexperienced. Knight also has a decent amount of Championship appearances under his belt despite him only turning 21 next month, meaning these departures would be a big setback in a football sense.