With the summer transfer window in full swing, Jason Knight is one of the Irish players many will be expecting to make a move.
The Irish midfielder has been loyal to Derby County despite their relegation and financial turmoil, staying with the club and pushing them in their quest to return to the Championship this season.
Unfortunately for Knight and his teammates, they would come up just short on their promotion quest, but Knight himself had another impressive season for the Rams.
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With the 22-year-old now finding competition in midfield for Stephen Kenny's Ireland side, a move up the divisions is likely to serve him well - and would be a truer reflection of his impressive ability.
His international manager, however, seems to have surprised Knight's employers, with Derby County reportedly unhappy with comments made by Kenny which suggested Knight was on the verge of a move away from Pride Park.
Derby taken aback by Stephen Kenny's Jason Knight transfer comments
When asked about the future of Jason Knight, Stephen Kenny said:
He's another one on the verge of a move now. A lot of clubs want to buy Jason, which will be good for him, to get back to playing at a level higher than League One.
Derby have been great to him, he's played a high amount of games for them for someone so young. But he's at that stage where he probably needs to go and play at a higher level to kick on.
It's hard to argue with Kenny's comments that Knight needs a move.
A move away from Derby County would likely see him return to the Championship, and spur him on to a higher level - in turn adding further quality to the midfield battle for Kenny's Ireland team.
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BBC Sport Derby have since reported that the club are unhappy with Kenny's comments. They shared the quotes to Twitter, and noted that Derby County state that the report of Knight being "on the verge of a move" is "inaccurate."
We're told that Derby County are surprised by comments made by Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny in relation to Jason Knight's future.
Kenny suggested Knight is "on the verge" of leaving the club, something Derby say is innacurate. #DCFC pic.twitter.com/lvmuuKPjxC— BBC Sport Derby (@BBCDerbySport) June 4, 2023
It is not the first time Kenny has spoken about the future of one of his players, with the Ireland boss making similar comments about Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher at his squad announcement for the June internationals.
Ireland will travel to Athens on June 16 to face Greece, before a home game against Gibraltar three days later. Jason Knight will be involved in the squad, and will hope to work his way into the starting lineup, with fierce competition from the likes of Jayson Molumby, Josh Cullen, and Will Smallbone.
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