Lee Buchanan: Derby County to go to Fifa in bid for Werder Bremen compensation

Lee Buchanan made 75 appearances for Derby County

Derby County are to go to football's world governing body Fifa in a fight to get a compensation fee from Werder Bremen for defender Lee Buchanan.

A legal loophole allowed the 21-year-old to get out of the contract extension activated by the Rams before the club was sold last week.

The English Football League have not been able to get involved because it is an international move, meaning Derby must take the case to a Fifa tribunal.

Werder have declined to comment.

Officials at the German Bundesliga club have been made aware of the action Derby are understood to be willing to take to get compensation for a player that had been on their books since youth level.

Werder announced the England Under-21 international had signed on a free transfer on Monday.

Buchanan's previous deal at Pride Park, before an extension option was taken up by Derby, expired at the end of June.

He become a free agent after taking advantage of an employment law to rip up those new terms after Derby were taken out of administration by David Clowes.

However, Derby will argue that as a player aged under 24 who has been developed by the Rams and played first-team football at the club, they are entitled to compensation for his development.

Derby are yet to acknowledge Buchanan's move and are not willing to comment on the situation.