Press Gossip

It has been reported in various Fleet Street comics this week that Derby are ready to offload Will Hughes for a fee of around £4m due to the fact that the board have requested Nigel Clough to raise 1.8m.

It would appear that once again certain Journalists (Or S**thouses as Brian Clough used to call them) are guilty of reporting on fiction rather than fact.

Will Hughes has recently signed a new contract and Derby manager Nigel Clough has made a clear statement that he has not been under any pressure to sell or indeed raise the said amount.

Of course, Will Hughes being an outstanding talent and only seventeen years old, will attract media attention and also that of Premier League sides. That said he is worth far more than the £4m being stated in the Daily Rags.

He is one of the emerging talents in the country today and when the leading lights of the Premier League come calling, Derby County Football Club need to dig their heels in and demand the highest fee they are capable of getting. Also plenty of add ons would be desirable.

In my opinion anything short of £8m in today's market shouldn't even be considered. For those who think that this is a 'Cuckoo Land' type demand, Zaha is currently being valued at £20m and in my opinion again, is not as good a player.

The Daily Mirror have also reported that West Ham are interested in John Brayford. Yet again, another story without any substance whatsoever.

Footnote- when a players fee is undisclosed the press often speculate what the actual fee is! They are often wide of the mark too!