Burnley, Everton and Leeds United join race for 28-year-old

Premier League sides Burnley, Everton and Leeds United have joined the race for Derby County skipper Tom Lawrence, as per a report from the Daily Mail.

The 28-year-old was a key player for the Rams during the 2021/22 campaign, taking the captain’s armband and proving to be an integral force going forward, recording 11 goals and five assists in 38 league matches.

His contributions were vitally important in keeping Wayne Rooney’s side in the race for survival with the Rams suffering from a severe shortage of options up top and Colin Kazim-Richards being unavailable for large chunks of the season.

Unfortunately though, the East Midlands outfit were unable to remain afloat in the second tier and this may affect the Rams’ ability to keep the Welshman beyond the summer with his contract expiring at the end of the campaign.

There has been interest in the relegated side’s skipper throughout the season with approaches from Fulham and Queens Park Rangers being rejected, according to a report from Football Insider in January.

And Burnley, Everton, Leeds and Anderlecht are the latest sides to have joined the race ahead of the summer window, with his current side unable to offer him fresh terms yet due to their takeover not yet being sealed.

That takeover deal is thought to be close to completion though – but it’s currently unclear whether there’s any chance of the Rams keeping hold of him as they prepare for life back in the third tier.

The Verdict:

At Goodison Park and Elland Road, it would be hard to see him being a regular starter so it will be interesting to see if Lawrence would be happy to settle for a place on the bench at first before potentially pushing for a spot in the first 11.

Anderlecht could be a good destination