STOKE and Millwall are keen on Derby County right-back Nathan Byrne.
Both Championship clubs want the attacking defender, who was named players’ player for Wayne Rooney’s Rams last season.
Byrne started 41 out of Derby’s 46 league games as the club could not avoid relegation to the third tier.
Derby took up an option on the 30-year-old’s contract after he played a set amount of games.
His contract had originally been due to expire this summer.
But both the Stoke and Millwall could offer more cash in wages if they could afford the fee.
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Byrne joined Derby from Wigan in 2020, and has played 82 times in total for the Rams.
The full-back was on the books at Tottenham as a youngster but never made a first-team appearance for the club.
Elsewhere at the club players have been left “extremely concerned” after Chris Kirchner’s takeover fell through.
The American failed to meet the deadline for rescuing the Rams, with proof of funds needing to be submitted by Friday at 5pm.
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Former Derby man Curtis Davies told talkSPORT that his contacts at the club have expressed their worry at the situation and its future.
He said: “I’ve spoken to a couple of players and it’s the same message. We’re getting most of our information from social media and news outlets and we’re all waiting to see what’s happening.
“Ultimately when you see reports like this [the 5pm Friday deadline], it doesn’t look positive for the current takeover.”
He added: “I’m extremely concerned because if you’re a fan sitting at home and you’re reading the reports and you hear that a player is reading those same reports to get his information, then you’d have to be worried.
“You’d be silly not to be worried.”
