Football Today '“ Transfer gossip (December 30): Tale of two striker at Boro | Owls eye Hornets forward | Millers keeper wanted

The 26-year-old Middlesbrough frontman is widely expected to move on in January, but Boro are intent on recouping the fee they shelved out to sign him from Blackburn Rovers just under 12 months ago.

A host of other clubs including Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday, Celtic and Aston Villa have also been linked with the ex-Huddersfield Town striker, but Derby appear to be the front-runners.

Villa manager Steve Bruce is likely to seek to lure Rhodes in a cash-plus-player swap deal with the Midlands club willing to sell Rudy Gestede to the Teessiders for £6m.

Bruce confirmed that a ‘Premier League club’ were talking to Gestede after Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

Manchester United star Anderson has rejected a shock move to Boro.

The Teesiders joined Braga and a Chinese investment group in seeking to secure the 28-year-old’s services.

But Anderson is set to stay at his current club Internacional, who were relegated from Brazil’s top flight two weeks ago.

Anderson is one of the club’s highest paid players, earning £1.5m per year.

He would have more than quadrupled his wages if he had opted for a move to China, having received offers of around £6.25m.

Sheffield Wednesday are the latest Championship club to be linked with a move for Watford striker Jerome Sinclair.

The Owls, along with both Norwich City and Brentford, are keen to take the 20-year-old on loan.

Sinclair has played just 78 minutes of senior football since joining Watford from Liverpool in July - a deal which is said to have cost the Hornets £4m.

Rotherham United caretaker chief Paul Warne admits several clubs have been running the rule over goalkeeper lee Camp, who was the Millers ‘player-of-the-year’ last season.