Exclusive: Ipswich Town still hoping to beat Bristol City in transfer battle for Derby player
FLW can reveal that Ipswich Town are keen on Derby County’s Jason Knight, who is on the radar of Bristol City.
Ipswich Town are keen on signing Derby County’s Jason Knight despite interest from Bristol City, Football League World can exclusively reveal.
Will Jason Knight leave Derby County?
The 22-year-old has been a regular for the Rams over the past few years, but their failure to win promotion last season has cast doubt over his future at Pride Park.
The Midlands outfit made the decision to trigger an extension in Knight’s contract earlier this year, which means he is about to enter the final 12 months of his deal with Derby.
Therefore, a departure is expected this summer, and Bristol City have made an early move to win the race for the Ireland international, as it was revealed by Telegraph reporter John Percy that the Robins have made two offers for Knight, both of which have been rejected.
The latest bid was believed to be around £1.5m, which was described as ‘getting closer’ to Derby’s valuation. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Bristol City return with another offer for the player.
However, FLW can reveal that the Tractor Boys are also monitoring Knight, with the recruitment team at Portman Road big fans of the player.
Knight has made over 150 appearances for Derby, with the vast majority of those coming in the Championship over the years.
Ipswich Town summer transfer plans
After winning promotion back to the Championship, Kieran McKenna is expected to be very busy in the market as he looks to build a squad that is capable of being competitive in the second tier. It’s no secret that additions in midfield are expected, with the Suffolk outfit having been linked with several players in the past few weeks in that position.
Given the backing provided by the new owners, funding a move for Knight would certainly be possible, with reports indicating that around £2m may be needed to get the player from Derby.
Of course, the situation is complicated by Bristol City’s interest, and Derby will hope that the two engage in a bidding war to raise the price a bit more. Either way, it seems likely that Knight has played his last game for the Rams, and it will be interesting to see who wins the race for the midfielder.
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Ipswich Town join race to sign in demand League One man, report claims
Ipswich Town have registered their interest in Derby County midfielder Jason Knight, claims Football League World.
Knight, 22, is attracting growing interest following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. His Derby County side missed out on a spot in the League One play-off places and now Knight looks set to move on after four seasons with the first-team.
The Republic of Ireland international has been a mainstay in the side for each of those seasons, racking up 166 total appearances for the Rams with 38 of those coming in League One last time round.
Earlier today, John Percy revealed that Bristol City had submitted two bids to sign Knight – both of which had been knocked back with the latest of which coming in at £1.5million – and now Football League World are claiming that the Robins’ Championship rivals Ipswich Town have joined the race to sign Knight.
