Dickinson set for loan switch

Dickinson: Loan exit expected

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Derby have confirmed that striker Liam Dickinson is set for another loan spell away from Pride Park next season.

The 23-year-old is still to make his senior debut for the Rams after joining the club in a £750,000 deal from Stockport last summer.

He had temporary stints with Huddersfield, Blackpool and Leeds last term and can expect to spend the season out on loan once again.

Dickinson has been unable to force his way into manager Nigel Clough's plans and chairman Adam Pearson believes all parties will benefit from another move.

"There is certainly a lot of interest at the bottom end of the Championship to buy Liam - but not at a price that we think is right," Pearson told the Derby Evening Telegraph.

"I think at this stage, it could well be that he goes out on loan for another year.

"If we loan him out, we might want to put him into League One where we think he will score a lot of goals and his value will go up.

"It is doubtful he would be part of the plans here because he would be fifth or sixth-choice striker and that is no good for Liam at the moment."

Mears

Pearson has played down reports linking Tyrone Mears with Portsmouth, with the Fratton Park club expected to lose star right-back Glen Johnson, but admitted the defender could be on the move.

He said: "We have had some sniffs on Tyrone but nothing concrete. Obviously if the right offer came along, we would let him go.

"But he is a good player who gives us pace and, if he doesn't go, we are quite happy to have him here and he can battle it out with Paul Connolly and see how it goes."

Duo

And Derby still hope to sign Shaun Barker and John Brayford - with Rams boss Clough insisting that talks remain ongoing with their respective clubs.

The Rams had a bid for Blackpool captain Barker rejected by the Seasiders last month while they were also rebuffed by Crewe in January when they made an approach for Brayford, who played under Clough at Burton.

Both players remain on Derby's radar and Clough confirmed: "They are a couple we would like in and we will have to wait and see how that goes in the next few weeks."