Derby County have been dealt a huge blow to their hopes of keeping Jack Marriott at Pride Park this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a statement posted on the Derby County website, in which the club revealed that the EFL has blocked their move to extend the 26-year-old's contract for a further 12 months.

The club state that, despite their initial communication that Marriott would remain with the Rams until the summer of 2022, the governing body subsequently withdrew their approval of his registration, with Derby having been in discussions with the player's representatives and the EFL regarding the deal since January.

Rooney will be livid

While it is not specified as to why the EFL blocked Derby's attempt to extend the contract of Marriott in the recent club statement, Derbyshire Live claim that the decision could be a result of the Championship club's ongoing off-field issues.

If this is indeed the case, it would certainly not bode well for Wayne Rooney's summer transfer business, with the 35-year-old looking to build a squad capable of much more than simply surviving relegation in their upcoming campaign.

And, with the club still currently operating under an embargo imposed by the EFL as a result of Mel Morris' failure to finalise a deal to sell the club, the manager's business in the transfer window had already been limited to loan deals and free transfers.

So, while Rooney will undoubtedly be frustrated with the fact that he looks likely to lose the services of the £18k-per-week Marriott this summer, a player whom Stan Collymore dubbed a "maverick," if the EFL continue to block a number of the Rams' other offers and bids for new recruits this summer, it will be sure to leave the former England star livid.

In other news: Get it done: Rooney must sanction Derby summer swoop for £1.9k-p/w "driving force"