Brentford have offered £4m for Olympiakos defender Bjorn Engels but Championship rivals Derby County are reportedly in the chase to sign him, too.
It seems that two Championship clubs are fighting over a Belgian centre-back on transfer deadline day.
HITC sources told us on Tuesday that Brentford had made a £4 million bid for Bjorn Engels, and now Derby County have been mentioned as a potential destination for the Olympiakos ace.
According to Greek publication Sportime, Derby manager Frank Lampard has personally contacted the highly-rated defender in an attempt to hijack the Bees and lure him to Pride Park before the transfer window shuts on Thursday afternoon.
The Rams appear to be trying to sign a defender to provide a youthful alternative to the experienced Curtis Davies and Richard Keogh, with the 20-year-old Le Havre man Harold Makoudi heavily linked of late.
But it seems that Engels has emerged as the top target with just hours remaining to get permanent deals over the line.
The 23-year-old is a classy operator and has impressed at Olympiakos since his £6 million move from Club Brugge a year ago. But it has been reported that the Piraeus-based club, whose seven-year dominance of the domestic league came to an end last season, would be willing to sell for the right price.
It remains to be seen whether Derby will match or exceed the £4 million offered by Brentford.
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