Town are again being linked with a move for Accrington Stanley striker Kayden Jackson.
According to The Sun on Sunday, Blues boss Paul Hurst is set to offer £1.25 million for the 24-year-old, who was previously mentioned in connection with the Blues earlier in the month, an offer it is claimed the League One club would find difficult to rebuff.
Stanley were previously reported to have turned down bids from Rotherham and Peterborough, while Preston have also been linked.
Jackson, who scored 16 goals in 48 starts and one sub appearance last season, previously played for Hurst, albeit briefly, at Grimsby during a loan spell in the first half of the 2016/17 season before the Town boss moved on to Shrewsbury in the October.
Bradford-born Jackson started his professional career with Swindon following success in a 2013 Win a Pro Contract competition run by Samsung when a player with Albion Sports in the Northern Counties East League Division One.
While with the Robins, he had spells on loan at Swindon Supermarine and Oxford City, prior to stints with Tamworth, Wrexham and Barnsley before his loan with Grimsby and his permanent switch to his current club last summer.
Stanley chairman Andy Holt has confirmed that the Tykes would receive a percentage of the fee they would receive should Jackson move on.
Jackson, who is 5ft 11in tall, is contracted until the summer of 2019 and can play in wide roles in addition to operating down the centre.
Speaking yesterday, Hurst admitted that the Blues would have to move quickly to recruit a replacement for Martyn Waghorn if, as seems likely, last season’s 16-goal top scorer departs before the window closes on August 9th.
Derby currently lead the likes of Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Birmingham and Nottingham Forest in the chase for the 28-year-old.
"I think we’d have to because what we can’t do is leave ourselves short and at the minute we feel we need players in anyway. If there was to be another departure, then clearly that adds to the need to get players in," he said.
The Blues boss also hinted that he may be looking at bringing in more frontmen in any case: "He hasn’t gone anywhere yet, so it may be that we’re trying to sign people anyway.”
Meanwhile, Blues target Conor Townsend completed his move from Scunthorpe to West Brom yesterday for a fee reported to be £750,000. Town and Hull City had previously had offers turned down by the Iron.