Derby County have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Ronan Curtis to Pride Park this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by The News, who claimed that neither Blackburn Rovers nor Cardiff City are looking to step up their interest in the Portsmouth winger in the summer transfer window.

The report added that Pompey have placed a £2m asking price on the 25-year-old, with the Republic of Ireland international viewed as one of Danny Cowley's prized assets at Fratton Park.

Finally, the report touches on Derby's interest in the forward, with the player believed to be extremely keen to make the step up to a Championship club this summer.

Rooney must move

A deal for Curtis may be a difficult one to pull off for Wayne Rooney ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, particularly with the Rams still operating under a transfer embargo. However, if a move for the winger does become feasible this summer, it would seem highly advisable that the Derby manager does all he can to seal the signing of the 25-year-old.

Indeed, over his 42 League One appearances for Cowley's side last season, the £3,700-per-week man bagged 10 goals, registered seven assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.2 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Mick McCarthy dubbed a "special" player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Portsmouth's best performer in the third tier of English football.

Curtis continued his excellent form in the domestic cup competitions, scoring four goals and registering three assists over six cup fixtures, bringing his total haul to 14 goals and 10 assists across all competitions last season.

As such, with Derby having scored a Championship-low 36 goals as a team last time out, the addition of a player as clinical and creative as Curtis should very much appear to be a priority for Rooney this summer, with the prospect of the Rams fielding Tom Lawrence (13 goals and seven assists over the last two seasons) on one wing and the 25-year-old on the other being something of a mouthwatering prospect for fans of the club.

However, it is undeniable that a move for the Portsmouth ace seems unlikely for Derby at present, with the club still prevented from signing players from other clubs permanently.

In other news: Rooney drops transfer hint on "incredible" £450k-rated gem, Derby fans surely buzzing