Jewell is in the process of making sweeping changes to the squad following their relegation from the top flight. But despite Hughes' possible departure Jewell intends to remain to Pride Park.

"My name has been bandied about and I wanted to move as quickly as possible to commit to Derby," he told the club's website, www.dcfc.co.uk.

He added: "This is a huge club and I have a massive job to do. It is important to make my intentions clear so there are no distractions.

"We are having a fantastic summer in the transfer market with six new signings and many more in the pipeline. My only focus is Derby."