Liam Thompson transfer claim made amid Derby County contract offer
Latest Derby County news from DerbyshireLive brings you what is being said about the midfielder who was offered a new deal at the end of the campaign
Derby County are said to have “confidence” that Liam Thompson will stay at Pride Park this summer after he was offered a new contract.
Thompson, along with Craig Forsyth, was handed terms at the end of the season with the midfielder having a strong end to the season.
While Forsyth is understood to have agreed a two-year stay with Derby, Thompson’s future is under the spotlight given the 23-year-old is at a critical juncture of his career.
With Derby set to add to their midfield this summer, regular first-team football is by no means a guarantee.
Thompson will have to decide whether to stay and fight for a place or whether he would be best served heading to a club further down the pyramid.
Should he leave, Derby’s contract offer means they will be guaranteed compensation for the academy graduate.
However, according to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey, who was speaking to EFL Analysis, he feels there is a big chance he stays.
“(John) Eustace wants him to stay,” he said. “There is a confidence around the club that he will.
“With John Eustace, I think a lot of players are buying into the project that he’s selling. And it’s an easy sell for him, isn’t it?
“He can say, ‘Look, I dropped down the league to Derby. So, you come on the journey with me.’
“There’s real hope that Derby keep him. There is interest in him elsewhere, but they are hopeful.”
Thompson made 31 appearances in the league and cup last season and scored a fine goal in a 2-1 win over Chesterfield in the Carabao Cup at Pride Park.
He has played more than 100 games for Derby having come through the academy and has scored three goals. He has also won promotion with the Rams having been part of the squad that secured runners-up spot in League One under former head coach Paul Warne.
Exclusive: Lincoln City submit contract offer to experienced centre-back after Derby County exit
Lincoln City have tabled a contract offer to veteran centre-half Sonny Bradley after he was released by Derby County, sources have exclusively told Football League World.
The Imps finished in mid-table this past season in League One in 11th position, which was four places lower than the 2023-24 campaign, and strengthening is likely going to be needed for Michael Skubala’s side to become a play-off contender.
Captain Paudie O’Connor has already departed after turning down a new contract, joining divisional rivals Reading – as well as Sean Roughan who’s joined Huddersfield – but it looks as though City have identified a potential replacement for the former.
Lincoln City submit Sonny Bradley contract offer
FLW has been told that Lincoln have made a move for the experienced Sonny Bradley in a bid to add to their defensive unit.
The 33-year-old has had a long and storied EFL career, which started all the way back in 2010 with Hull City and is still ongoing to this day.
After a five-year stint with Luton Town, which culminated in promotion to the Premier League, Bradley was released by the Hatters and signed for Derby County, where he’s spent the previous two years.
Bradley appeared 33 times in the Rams’ promotion-winning 2023-24 season, but he was restricted to just seven Championship outings in the first half of 2024-25, which led to a temporary move to Wycombe Wanderers in January for the remainder of the campaign.
At the Chairboys, Bradley played 21 games and was at the heart of Mike Dodds’ defence as they reached the League One play-offs, only to be defeated over two legs by Charlton Athletic in the semi-finals.
Lincoln City’s summer transfer business so far amid Sonny Bradley contract offer
Whilst some League One clubs – Huddersfield Town in particular – have gotten going early with their transfer business, it has been a slow start to proceedings at Sincil Bank.
No new faces have been confirmed as arriving for Skubala so far, although talented youngster Zane Okoro has signed a new contract, but the departures of O’Connor and Roughan have somewhat overshadowed that, with both players turning down new deals in Lincolnshire.
With a deal offered to Bradley though, it looks as though Skubala has his ideas on how to strengthen ahead of the new campaign.
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