Five players that could replace Max Bird if he leaves Derby County in January

Max Bird has attracted interest in recent months from a number of clubs, most notably Hull City and Birmingham City.

The Rams midfielder was the subject of a number of bids from Hull City in the summer as former Rams assistant manager and interim boss Liam Rosenior wanted to link up with Bird yet again.

However, no deal was done.

Bird as also received interest from Birmingham City as former Rams boss Wayne Rooney has taken over at St Andrews.

If he is to leave in January, here are five possible replacements for the young star.

Owen Moxon - Carlisle United

Owen Moxon has been a fantastic member of the Carlisle United team. It is safe to say they may not have earnt promotion to League One without his contribution last season. The 25 year-old midfielder has made a good start to life in League One as he currently has two goals and three assists.

His creative ability would be a great replacement for Max Bird’s attacking ability and as he is still only 25, the Rams could sign him to a deal over multiple years.

The biggest issue will be his price as he is Carlisle’s talisman who they value very highly, this could put off any bid from the Rams.

Josh Onomah - Free agent

Things haven’t gone as planned for Onomah who was once a promising member of a Tottenham Hostpur side that saw a lot of potential in the midfielder.

However, Onomah has struggled to establish himself even though he is still of Championship quality.

He played most recently for Preston after he signed in January but he only spent half a season at Deepdale. Since then, Onomah had been on trial at Stoke City, but this didn’t materialise.

For a League One side, the 26 year-old would provide good value and is certainly capable of making a good impact. Furthermore, the Rams wouldn’t have to pay for him or commit to signing him on a long term deal as he’s a free agent.

They could sign Onomah until the end of the season and then re-evaluate his position if he works out in the summer.

Stefan Johansen - Free agent

Another free agent, Stefan Johansen has always been considered to be a solid Championship-level midfielder.

He most recently appeared for QPR who he made 64 appearances for over a two year period. The Norwegian is the wrong side of 30 at 32, however he would certainly fill the void of Max Bird for until the end of the season should Bird leave in January.

Much like Onomah, he would be a financially cheap decision as a replacement and not a long-term option, but if the Rams aren’t keen on digging into the wallet, then Johansen could do the job for this season at least.

Will Collar - Stockport County

Will Collar has been one of the standout performers in League Two so far this season. His ability to score and assist from midfield would be ideal for Derby in their search for a standout player to replace Max Bird with.

In 12 games so far, Collar has scored three goals and assisted four. Since joining Stockport in 2022, Collar has made 99 appearances scoring 22 goals.

Furthermore, aged 26, he has got a lot of playing time left in him. After this season, Collar will only have one year left on his deal, so if Stockport want to make a healthy profit from him, it would make sense for them to sell him now whilst his value remains at it’s highest.

This is a move that would make sense for both sides, he would make for a great replacement for Max Bird.

Will Vaulks - Sheffield Wednesday

It was rumoured in the summer that Paul Warne was keen to bring Vaulks to Derby on a loan deal from Sheffield Wednesday, something that didn’t materialise.

However, there’s no reason why the Welshman wouldn’t make for a good replacement for Max Bird.

He has goalscoring ability but also is defensivley solid, a skillset that the Rams could do with in midfield especially if Bird departs.

Vaulks worked with Warne previously at Rotherham United and as the Derby boss has a track record of signing his former players, Vaulks would make sense.

It all depends on if new Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is keen on keeping the midfielder at Hillsborough as Vaulks wasn’t a part of previous manager Xisco Munoz’ plans.