Derby County join Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers in race to seal late deal for forward | OneFootball

The Rams are looking to bolster their attacking department ahead of the 11pm deadline, and could turn to Scotland to help that.

Derby County are monitoring Elie Youan's situation at Hibernian after Blackburn Rovers had a bid rejected for the forward while Stoke City have reportedly tabled their own offer.

According to The Scotsman, the Potters have placed a £1.5m bid for the 25-year-old but the Rams are keeping tabs on him and may make an offer of their own.

Paul Warne has already made three signings in the January transfer window and is looking to add his second striker this winter after Lars-Jorgen Salvesen joined the club from Viking FK for £800k nearly three weeks ago.

Derby are still in the relegation zone after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday, their seventh successive loss in the Championship, and their 51-year-old manager is set on improving his squad before the window slams shut at 11pm this evening.

Derby County monitor Elie Youan situation

The Rams are monitoring Youan's situation at Hibs, with a host of Championship sides interested in his services on a permanent basis.

Stoke are the latest club to table an offer for the striker, according to the report, with Blackburn having their bid rebuffed last week.

Warne has made no secret of his desire to improve his forward line before the deadline after Dajaune Brown's season ended early due to injury and James Collins joined Lincoln City in League One.

While no approach has been made by Derby yet, the next few hours will be interesting, and if the Potters' bid is rejected, the Rams may look to send an improved offer themselves and beat their relegation rivals to the signature of the Frenchman.

Derby County should avoid a move for Youan

Although there is a need for the East Midlands side to bring in a new striker, they must avoid a move for Youan.

He has struggled for consistency in front of goal this season, scoring only twice in the Scottish Premiership so far, with injuries also impacting him over the course of the last couple of years.

If Stoke's £1.5m bid is rejected, Derby must not try and beat Mark Robins' team to a move, with Youan a huge risk for a relatively large sum of money.

Deadline day will cause panic and worry for clubs across the EFL, but the Rams must not be dragged into a battle that they do not need to be in. Any signing they make must come with reason, and the 25-year-old does not quite fit that right now.