Derby County midfielder Jason Knight is close to a move away, according to Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny when speaking to The Sun.
The 22-year-old has spent the last five years with the Rams, however, his international boss wants him to be playing at a higher level. Featuring 47 times in all competitions for the League One club this season, the versatile midfielder had an option in his contract triggered to keep him tied down to Derby for another 12 months.
Who Is Jason Knight?
The Irishmen have risen through the ranks of Derby, playing a major part in the U18’s title-winning season in 2019. Moving from his home country of Ireland to play for the club, Knight has gone on to make 166 appearances in the white colours, including another 56 for the Rams’ youth sides.
Contributing in multiple roles with the ability to play several positions, Knight has been a consistent figure amongst the team since his first-team debut at the age of 18.
Is Kenny Right?
Ireland manager Stephen Knight has called the midfielder up for another opportunity in the national team, naming him in the squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier games. With him wanting the best for his young players, Kenny seemed pretty adamant that Knight should be playing at a higher level in club football.
Having played his previous three seasons in the Championship as a teenager, the boss has a point considering staying with the Rams would be a second consecutive season in League One.
What’s Been Said:
Speaking to The Sun with quotes from Derbyshire Live, Kenny spoke about the interest in Knight and how a move away may soon be on the cards.
“He’s another one on the verge of a move now, a lot of clubs want to buy Jason, which will be good for him, to get back to playing at a level higher than League One.
“Derby have been great to him, he’s played a high amount of games for them for someone so young. But he’s at that stage where he probably needs to go and play at a higher level to kick on.”
Writer’s View
With a year left on his deal after the 12-month option, if Knight was to move, Derby should get a fair transfer fee back. Having shown he can contribute in the Championship at such an early age, Kenny is right when saying he should be playing at a higher current level.
As for a move, clubs such as Newcastle and Leeds were linked with the player’s services in the January transfer window, so an exciting move to either higher division is possible. With the ability to contribute in so many positions, Knight could be a Swiss Army knife with a high ceiling for interested teams.
