FOREST have acted swiftly in their race to sign Derby striker Robert Earnshaw, with the club understood to have had a £2m bid for the striker accepted.
Rams boss Paul Jewell left the Welsh international out of his squad that suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Reading yesterday and later confirmed an offer had been accepted for the player.
“We have had an offer from a club that we have accepted,” said Jewell. “Whether it happens or not, I don’t know, but that was the reason he was left out of the squad.”
Forest are not the only club trailing Earnshaw, who signed for Derby for £3.5m from Norwich last summer, but has suffered a frustrating time at Pride Park.
Championship rivals Sheffield United are also interested and it is believed Jewell would prefer to do business with the Blades, rather than sell to their East Midlands rivals.
And, with Jewell also keen on United striker Rob Hulse, Kevin Blackwell’s side may still hold the upper hand if they launch a bid for the player.
But the Rams’ beleaguered boss is also keen to restructure his squad over the summer, following their humiliating exit from the Premier League and may be convinced to sell to Forest to raise transfer funds.
Derby spent the majority of their parachute payment back in January, in an effort to bolster their unsuccessful fight against relegation. And, with Earnshaw having failed to make an impression at Derby, starting only seven Premiership matches, making 15 substitute appearances and netting only one league goal, Forest’s willingness to immediately match their valuation of the player may work in their favour.
Earnshaw does have an impressive goalscoring record at Championship level, with Norwich and West Brom. He was also a prolific front man with Cardiff – who are also thought to be interested in re-signing the player – where he built his reputation on their rise into the Championship.
But Jewell is determined to undergo a clear-out at Derby, after an emphatic home defeat by Reading rounded off a miserable season yesterday.
“We are miles away from where I expected the team to be – no passion for the shirt and no desire,” he said.
“Whatever makes a good team, this group of players have not got it.”
“I am sick and tired of them now. They make mistake after mistake and when things go against them they have not got the balls or the gumption, the desire or the fitness level – I don’t know what it is – to fight against adversity.
“The large majority of these players, if I have my way, will never play for Derby County again,” he said. The team will bear no resemblance to the team you saw out there. These players as a group are pitiful.”
