Reds have been monitoring youngster all year long.
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Merseyside giants Liverpool are hoping to beat the rest of the Premier League to the coveted signature of up-and-coming Derby County midfield player Will Hughes, according to reports in the Sun on Sunday.
The Reds have been keeping close tabs on the England Under-21 international for some time now, with a view to making a move for Hughes when the winter transfer window opens again for business in January.
However, it is now understood that the Merseysiders have already started to put into place plans to lure the exciting 18-year-old to Anfield in the new year in order to steal a march on their many Premier League rivals, who are also all said to be keen on landing the goalscoring midfield player at the turn of the year.
Hughes, who has been with the Rams for his entire career to date, has a current contract with the Championship outfit that now runs until June 30 2016.
And after yet another eye-catching campaign for Steve McClaren’s side, Derby themselves are believed to already have consigned themselves to losing the Englishman in January, with Hughes having already found the back of the net on four occasions in total in just 18 matches in all competitions for his club in this season.