Wayne Rooney has revealed that Derby County have a 'Plan B' when it comes to the rest of the January transfer window, which will come into effect if the protracted takeover of the club is not completed by the end of the month.

As far as Rams fans are concerned, things are going painfully slow in regards to the acquisition of the club by Derventio Holdings - led by Abu Dhabi royal family member Sheikh Khaled Zayed Bin Saquer Zayed Al Nayhan - and a conclusion is needed imminently.

John Percy reported last week that it was set to be done within the next seven days - but that hasn't come to fruition which has left fans panicking again.

And there's even more concern as the club cannot afford to pay the players their full salaries at present, which has led to reports that key players like Jason Knight may need to depart to raise funds, but it looks as though it's only academy players that may leave Pride Park.

County are currently under a transfer embargo in relation to the unpaid wages fiasco, but once that is sorted then Rooney wants to bring in some fresh faces, and he has outlined his plans for the last two weeks of January.

Quiz: The top 16 Derby County record player departures – Which club did they join though?

Rooney told the Derby Telegraph: "We've prepared for every eventuality in terms of bringing players in, bringing players in on loan, letting players go if we need to in order to bring players in," Rooney said.

"I think come the last few days of the last week of the transfer window we have to start looking to go to a Plan B, if you like.

"I have identified the players I want to bring in. The recruitment is vital, the recruitment team has been good in terms as I have been working alongside them for the last six weeks now to identify players I want to bring in."

The Verdict

If the takeover gets completed in the next week, then it could be an incredibly exciting end to the window for the Rams.

You'd expect that Sheikh Khaled will pump some much-needed funds into the club and despite Rooney improving the team's performances since taking charge, it's clear that some new signings are needed - especially at the top end of the pitch.

But if the takeover stalls even further, then Rooney could be restricted to free agents and loans which would be far from ideal, but it's a problem he may have to get on with.