Aston Villa "?Derby County are reportedly interested in signing Jordan Rhodes, who has been made available for transfer by Middlesbrough.
According to "?the Daily Mail, the newly promoted Premier League club want to recoup the £11m they paid for the Scottish no. 9 last January.
Villa manager Steve Bruce has held talks over a potential deal for the former Blackburn frontman.
The 26-year-old has started just two Premier League games so far this campaign, with top scorer Alvaro Negredo above him in the pecking order.
Villa boss Bruce is believed to be willing to sell a striker of his own, Rudy Gestede, to Boro as part of a potential swap deal. Gestede is only valued at £6m, however, so the difference in price could be a stumbling block.
Boro are also attempting to offload David Nugent, who has made just four substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season, and hasn't featured since defeat against Everton in September.
If the 31-year-old is sold alongside Rhodes, it could free up some funds for Boro to strengthen their attacking options and provide support for Negredo.
The Spaniard has scored five of their 16 league goals, a worryingly high percentage for manager Aitor Karanka, who will be hoping that the burden is shared more in the second half of the season.
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