Newcastle United scout Graham Carr has reportedly been watching Derby County’s Will Hughes for three years.
According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United chief scout Graham Carr has been tracking Derby County midfielder Will Hughes for three years, amid rumours over his future.
Hughes, 21, has long been regarded as one of the Football League’s top young talents, and has now made more than 150 appearances for the Rams in all competitions.
Aston Villa’s Libor Kozak in action with Derby’s Will Hughes
The playmaker has also notched 17 caps for the England Under-21’s, and speculation now surrounds his future at Derby after more than five years with the club.
The Mirror recently reported that Hughes has rejected a new contract at the iPro Stadium, and whilst he is contracted to the Rams until the summer of 2018, clubs are allegedly lining up moves to sign Hughes.
Liverpool’s Emre Can in action with Derby’s Will Hughes
Intriguingly, The Chronicle report that Newcastle have a long-term interest in signing Hughes, as chief scout Graham Carr has been tracking him for three years now ahead of a possible move for the midfielder.
Newcastle would no doubt love to add Hughes to their midfield options, but whether they could beat Premier League clubs to his signature is another matter.
Derby’s Will Hughes
The Mirror’s report stated that Derby would want a fee of £15m of Hughes, whilst he also wants wages of around £30m – figures which Newcastle may be able to afford having sold the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko over the summer.
With ambitions of a Premier League return, landing a young English talent with great potential would be a superb move from Newcastle – and with Carr clearly a huge fan of the Derby talent, the Magpies should be keeping a close eye on Hughes’ contract situation at the iPro Stadium.
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