Surely no self-respecting football club would sell a player just days after making him their captain?
Then again, this is Derby County we’re talking about and, after the summer from hell at Pride Park, it would merely be the latest in a long line of bizarre twists in an increasingly strange saga.
Whether Tom Lawrence is the right man to lead out Wayne Rooney’s wafer-thin squad next season is up for debate.
The £5 million Wales international hasn’t developed as much as many hoped since his 2017 move from Ipswich Town. Lawrence spent much of last season out of action with an ankle injury too.
Wayne Rooney obviously sees something in the one-time Manchester United youngster, however, believing Lawrence can emerge as the kingpin of a club crying out for leadership, on and off the pitch.
So surely Derby won’t sell if Championship rivals West Brom come calling between now and the end of August, as predicted via the Daily Mail?
Could Derby sell Tom Lawrence to West Brom days after making him captain?
Lawrence is one of Derby’s highest earners, however, and his departure would free up some vital funds for a club that was slapped with a transfer embargo after posting substantial losses (Guardian).
Then again, Rooney only has a handful of senior players at his disposal ahead of Saturday’s Championship opener with Huddersfield Town.
Losing the club’s most gifted attacker – and their captain to boot – would leave Derby worryingly short of quality and quantity.
Here’s what some Derby County fans on Twitter had to say about the situation:
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