Derby will, reportedly, make a January loan move for Leicester City centre-back Filip Benkovic.
The Rams have made signing a central defender their winter window priority, according to the Daily Telegraph, and Benkovic is on their radar.
The Croatian, who joined City 18 months ago in a £13m switch from Dinamo Zagreb, impressed on loan at Celtic last season but has failed to make a single first-team appearance since returning, Brendan Rodgers preferring Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu and Wes Morgan.
It is understood that City will be willing to loan out the 22-year-old next month provided they sign a new centre-back themselves.
City want to bolster their own options at the back having failed to sign a replacement for Harry Maguire in the summer.
Reports suggested that Benkovic was due to join Stoke on loan in August, but the plug was pulled on the move after City could not bring in another central defender following the £80m sale of Maguire to Manchester United.
Benkovic has failed to even make the bench for the first team this term, instead playing nine times for the Under-23s.
In October, Rodgers said on Benkovic; “For Filip, it’s a very difficult position for him. He’s fighting every day to be fitter and stronger.
“We’ll see where he’s at in January, whether he needs games with more pressure, or whether he stays and is that support player should anything happen.”