Derby face competition from Serie A side Bologna for Scotland defender Max Johnston.
The Rams have already had two bids rejected by Sturm Graz this summer for the 21-year-old right-back, who scored in Saturday’s 3-1 Austrian Bundesliga win at Ried.
Johnstone has attracted other Championship interest and is preparing for Graz’s Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt, with the first leg in Norway on Wednesday.
He moved to Graz from Motherwell in 2023 and has won back-to-back titles in Austria’s top flight, making more than 60 first-team appearances and scoring twice.
Last season, the Scottish full-back also registered five assists in 24 league appearances.
Johnston made his senior debut for Scotland in the Nations League win over Greece in March before delivering an assist on his first international start under Steve Clarke in June’s loss to Iceland.
