Derby County set their stall out for Tom Lawrence as AFC Bournemouth eye move

Derby County’s administrators Quantuma have reportedly told the promotion chasing Bournemouth that they will need to also pay in cash upfront if they want to bring the midfielder to the club this January. 

According to the Mirror, Quantuma will only sanction the sale of the player if these demands are met. 

Quantuma are currently in charge of the club while they sort out the ownership situation.

In the meantime, they have told Bournemouth they need to double their £250,000 pound offer for Lawrence. 

They need the cash upfront in order to help the club cover its costs for the remainder of the season. 

The Rams face liquidation if they cannot prove to the EFL by the end of February that they can afford to finish the rest of the campaign. 

That means a staggered payment scheme would be of no use to the club.

Bournemouth have until Monday to secure a deal for the player before the transfer window slams shut. 

Lawrence has appeared 24 times for Derby in the Championship this season. In that run, he has scored eight times and earned three assists.

That contribution has helped the Rams climb to 23rd in the table, despite a 21-points deduction penalty. 

Wayne Rooney’s side are eight points adrift of safety. Up next for Derby is the visit of Birmingham City to Pride Park on January 30. 

The loss of Lawrence for Derby County would be massive. While his salary of £30,000 a week is a strain on the club, he has been a vital player in their side this season.

Their Championship survival requires an almost perfect second half of the season and this will make that quite a lot harder. 

Meanwhile, Lawrence would be taking a big step up by potentially moving to Bournemouth. 

He would be swapping a relegation battle for a promotion fight.