Mike McGrath's transfer notebook: Liverpool winning race to sign Derby County forward Kaide...

[ASFN Admin]

Liverpool are winning the race for Derby County forward Kaide Gordon in a deal worth more than £1 million for the teenager. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also wanted the 16 year-old who has played for England youth teams and made his senior debut under Wayne Rooney last month. But he is close to an Anfield switch, where the youngster would join an academy which has seen Neco Williams, Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips play for the first team this season under Jurgen Klopp. Gordon is highly rated at Pride Park and club sources say they would like him to stay. Big clubs, however, have looked at deals for the talent at Derby’s highly-rated academy following delays in the proposed takeover from Derventio Holdings. "I brought Kaide up with the first team initially to train with us for a week to see how he reacted to it, and he was one of the best trainers," said Rooney after Gordon's debut against Birmingham City. Gordon has played for England Under-16s and is from a football family, with his brother Kellan Gordon at Mansfield Town. **** West Bromwich Albion face a battle to land Andy Carroll from Newcastle and reunite Sam Allardyce with the striker. Carroll, who worked with Allardyce at West Ham United, has started the last two Premier League games and could prove useful for the second half of the season. Newcastle’s run of eight matches without a victory means they are only separated by eight points from West Brom and it is rare for clubs to help each other while battling for survival. The two clubs are also admirers of Hamza Choudhury but Leicester City are reluctant to let him leave on loan and would prefer a sale if he departs the King Power Stadium. **** Billy Gilmour has Premier League clubs waiting to see if Frank Lampard will consider him for a six-month loan. The 19-year-old midfielder started in the FA Cup tie against Luton Town this weekend and Lampard must decide whether to keep him in his squad and add to his three starts this season. Gilmour has interest from clubs should he come available, having returned from his knee injury in November after missing the start of the season. **** West Ham United manager David Moyes is carefully considering his options to sign a striker to replace Sebastien Haller and says he may even wait until the summer for the right player. The Hammers are long-term admirers of FC Copenhagen forward Jonas Wind, although any move is unlikely this window. Wind, 21, has played for Denmark after breaking into senior football in the last two years.

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