Wayne Rooney's reported Derby County transfer target Ronan Curtis recently spoke out regarding the apparent interest in him this summer.

What's been said?

Speaking to The Sun (via The News), the Portsmouth winger delivered some news about the interest in his services ahead of the summer transfer window and admitted that there are other teams looking at him.

Curtis said: "I know there is a lot of interest from clubs above us right now. That's encouraging but all I'm concentrating on is helping Portsmouth to go up. What happens at the end of the season will be taken care of. I just want to repay the faith Portsmouth showed in me by helping get us up."

Rooney must act

Derby County were linked with a move for the 25-year-old last summer and they must look to complete a deal this summer.

Curtis has been one of the stars of a hugely impressive Portsmouth side so far this season, with the winger scoring 10 goals, providing seven assists and creating seven big chances over his 41 League One appearances, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.1 - ranking him as the club's best player in the third tier.

The £3,700-per-week star's level of performance has also improved when Pompey needed it to most, as, throughout the club's push to secure a top-six finish in the months of April and May, Curtis has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.2 and 8.5 respectively.

This overall level of goalscoring and creative threat, as well as turning up when most required by the club, is something that has sorely been lacked at Derby this season, as, aside from Colin Kazim-Richards, no other player at Derby has scored more than three Championship goals, while Nathan Byrne tops the club's assist charts with a mere four.

Furthermore, with a single win being required in recent weeks to all but secure the Rams' status as a Championship team, Wayne Rooney's side have lost six games on the spin, with the club being dragged into a relegation shootout against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the season.

As such, a player of Curtis' ability and "selfless" character - as the winger was dubbed by Danny Cowley - is much needed within the Derby squad, and Rooney should be doing all he can to convince the 25-year-old to move to Pride Park this summer.

In other news: Rooney must avoid Derby swoop for 29 y/o flop who "plays like he's on roller-skates" - opinion