Derby Deny £10m Liverpool Bid For Championship Starlet Hughes

Derby County manager Nigel Clough has denied suggestions Liverpool have tabled a bid for their highly rated midfielder Will Hughes.

With Brendan Rodgers still keen to make further additions to his squad before the transfer window closes, a number of reports have suggested the club have stepped up their interest in 18-year-old Hughes and are poised to sign the England Under-21 international for £10m.

Hughes is regarded as one of the brightest talents in English football having asserted himself as a regular in the Derby line up since making his debut at just 16. Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona have also been credited with sending scouts to Pride Park to watch over the prodigious midfielder, but Clough insists no bids have been forthcoming.

"There's obviously speculation about Will Hughes flying around but we have had no bids or contact from anyone. Nothing has changed," Clough told reporters.

"I cannot predict what is going to happen but I do not see it changing. I think it will be pretty much as we are when the window closes, unless there is somebody sitting there with an awful lot of money burning a hole in their pocket.

"If somebody comes in through the front door and makes an official enquiry or bid, we will have to react to it. But we are not in a situation where we have to do anything, which is lovely."

According to Wednesday's reports, Liverpool would be willing to allow Hughes to return to Derby to see out the 2013/14 campaign at Pride Park if they were to strike a deal with the Championship club.

While some reports suggested Liverpool were willing to pay £10m for Hughes, a fee that would make the teenager the club's most expensive summer acquisition, other suggested a fee in the region of £6m had been offered.

But Clough has indicated that Liverpool, or any other of Hughes' suitors, will likely have to make a "substantial" offer to sign the midfielder.

"Nobody knows what we want or what the fee is going to be because we have not got a specific valuation in mind," Clough added.

"Would it be more than £6m? Yes, I think it is fair to say that. We just think it is going to be very, very substantial figure to tempt him away."