Hooper, 22, has 18 goals to his name this season including four in the last two games – a hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bristol City and the first Iron goal in the midweek 2-2 draw with Reading that secured Championship survival.
Clough was at Glanford Park on Tuesday night to watch Hooper, the Hull City manager Iain Dowie was also in the crowd while Ipswich Town appear to have made their interest well known.
Clough expected interest in Hooper, who has 12 months left on his current contract, to be high this summer.
“It might be that we get priced out of it, I don’t know, but if he is one we identify as a definite target then we would hope to be in there bidding,” he told the Derby Telegraph.
“If Premiership clubs come in there is no competition really, but if it is clubs from the Championship I would hope that if we go for him we would be in with a chance.”
Nigel Adkins, the Iron manager, will hope to keep Hooper at Glanford Park this summer, but would expect a fee at least equal to the £2million Sheffield United paid for striker Billy Sharp two years ago should the player insist on leaving.
Sharp had scored 32 goals as United won the League One title, but Hooper also has a proven track record at Championship level on his CV.