Derby County have sold Jason Shackell to Championship rivals Burnley

Derby County have sold Jason Shackell to Championship rivals Burnley and the Rams are close to signing another central defender.The fee for Shackell is undisclosed but is thought to be in the region of £1.1m. He has signed a four-year deal.The 28-year-old centre-back was ever-present in the back four last season and departs 12 months after arriving in a £750,000 deal from Barnsley. Chief executive Tom Glick said the club were disappointed to see Shackell leave and confirmed that Derby were set to make their own move in the transfer market. "Plans are well under way to not only secure the services of a central defender but also strengthen other areas of the first-team squad." said Glick. Derby turned down four bids for Shackell last month. At the time, Manchester City-bound Glick described him as a top player in the Championship, saying: "So it would take a lot to pry him away from Derby. I expect him to be with us for the start of the season." Shackell made 49 appearances last season and wore the captain's armband in the absence of Shaun Barker. He was also runner-up to Craig Bryson in the fans' player-of-the-year poll. His contribution has been praised by manager Nigel Clough. "Jason has always been 100% professional and a fantastic player to work with," said Clough. "He played every game last season, so it came as no great shock when other clubs started to register their interest in him." Cardiff City and newly-promoted Charlton Athletic also entered the race to sign Shackell. Burnley are his sixth club, as he has also played for Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers. Clough said: "Although I am sad to see Jason leave, we have Jake Buxton, Tom Naylor and Mark O'Brien, who have all proved to be more than capable at performing in the Championship. "We are also actively looking to bring in another central defender and hope to make an announcement in the not too distant future." Derby have indicated all summer that they might cash in on Shackell at the right price if it would help to strengthen the squad.