Derby County
Derby County replacement plans to reconsider
After two years with the Rams, the striker has not yet agreed to a new deal.
With 19 goals in all competitions, James Collins was Derby County’s top scorer at the end of the 2023–2024 season. But even though he helped his team get promoted from League One, he hasn’t signed a new deal with the Rams, therefore they are down to one striker.
Collins, 33, left Cardiff City to sign with Derby on a free transfer in July 2022. The former Luton Town striker has scored 31 goals in 98 games since joining the team, but supporters are still in the dark about whether their number nine will play in the third season in black and white.
Dajaune Brown, a 19-year-old striker who only made a few cameo appearances for the senior club and spent the second part of the previous season on loan at non-league Gateshead, is Derby’s lone striker signed for the upcoming campaign.
This summer, manager Paul Warne must assemble a whole new forward line if he is to keep his team in the Championship for 2024–2025. The Rams might look at the following three players during this transfer window:
The 27-year-old Macaulay Langstaff has been on fire since moving from Gateshead to Notts County two years ago. Before concluding the previous season as the leading scorer in League Two with 28 goals in 46 games, he scored 41 goals in 45 National League outings during his first season with the Magpies.
Although Langstaff signed an extension in August, he still has three years left on his deal. Despite this, Derby should not let that stop them from pursuing one of the EFL’s most clinical strikers, as the Rams are free to spend transfer funds this season for the first time since 2020.
The 27-year-old forward, who led the division in shots per 90 minutes last season, is an explosive and goal-hungry player. In addition, he contributed six assists, four more than Collins, demonstrating an improved level of play. Despite his small stature of five feet eight inches, Langstaff still manages to locate the end of crosses, a quality that might make him an ideal match at Derby.
Given that Langstaff recorded 60 recoveries for Notts County in League Two, Warne might become fascinated with his high-pressing style. In addition to Corey Blackett-Taylor and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, the Rams may have one of the most dynamic offensive lineups in the Championship the following season.
Kemar Roofe (31), who was instrumental in Leeds United’s unsuccessful attempt to gain promotion in 2018–19, has struggled in his final few seasons at Rangers.
After playing for R.C.S. Anderlecht in Belgium, Roofe joined the Scottish powerhouses; but, despite a bright beginning, his stint in Glasgow is drawing to an unsatisfactory conclusion.
The 31-year-old’s career has recently been destroyed by a lack of playing time, and a fresh start at Derby could be the answer for the former Oxford United goal machine. The striker has only scored twice in the last two Premier League seasons.
In 102 games in all competitions, he scored 38 goals for Rangers, 34 of which came in his first two years. However, his familiarity with the game and past goal-scoring performances may be crucial to Dajaune Brown’s growth.
After a turbulent conclusion to his Rangers career, Roofe is unlikely to start at the front, but he might be a brilliant replacement for Warne and score important goals off the bench.
Tom Bradshaw, 31, has made almost 200 appearances for Millwall and over the past six years has developed a bit of a cult following at The Den. Still, he was on the verge of leaving South London this summer until he activated a contract extension.
However, Derby ought to be chasing the seasoned target man during the transfer window to support their efforts to stay in the Championship.
Despite his four goals in 34 games in 2023–24, Bradshaw is still a valuable asset to Millwall, who will be devastated to lose the forward. However, the 31-year-old might find it impossible to pass up the chance to take on a new task.
The Rams will be able to stick to Warne’s physical style of play if they acquire a tough striker who can replace Collins on a like-for-like basis.
With Mendez-Laing’s ability to assist, Bradshaw, who scored sixteen goals in the 2022–2023 season, may find success in the Derby system, return to his peak performance, and establish a new dynasty at Pride Park.
Derby County appears destined to lose out on an attacking transfer target to rivals in the Championship.
Over the past several days, Paul Warne has attempted to expedite his transfer deals; striker Jerry Yates is expected to rejoin the former Rotherham United manager on a loan basis.
Ben Osborn, a former Nottingham Forest midfielder whose contract at recently relegated Sheffield United expired, has also been announced to join Warne. Osborn will be Warne’s first summer addition ahead of the 2024–2025 Championship season.
In addition, Derby County has been searching overseas markets for Eredivisie star Kenzo Goudmijn, as midfield alternatives seem to be on the lower side after Korey Smith and Conor Hourihane left.
But one area where they haven’t been able to secure a deal is wide-man, so Warne will have to start looking for other possibilities.
Jamal Lowe is getting closer to Sheffield Wednesday, and Derby County needs to rekindle Josh Windas’s chase.
According to Sheffield Wednesday News, Derby County target Jamal Lowe had a medical with Sheffield Wednesday prior to moving to South Yorkshire.
Warne ought to raid Sheffield on Wednesday in search of Josh Windass, who is expected to be freed this summer.
Although the former Rangers forward having discussions with West Brom, the 30-year-old may be tempted by Warne to be a key member of Derby County’s assault.
Derby County does not have many options if you’re searching for a Championship-level experienced attacker, which Windass would supply.
Although Windass has had numerous injury setbacks in the past few years while playing for Sheffield Wednesday, he is one of the best players in the Championship when healthy.
Not only did the 30-year-old enjoy a great finish to the 2023–24 Championship season—scoring in three straight games to keep up with the Owls—but he may have more to offer Derby County than Lowe ever could.
As he has been at Rangers and Wednesday, Windass would be expected to be one of the main goal threats in their starting lineup when he gets to Pride Park.
His championship record further attests to the calibre of service he offers, even when his team isn’t playing at its best.
In 2023–24, Jamal Lowe was not able to get the best out of incoming loan striker Yates, but he could work excellently across the frontline.
Derby County’s ability to perform well in high-pressure situations and their championship history will be key selling factors if they decide to pursue Windass.
Certainly, the Rams should go head-to-head with West Brom to get his services.
Why the sack manager Clubs up and down the Championship are starting to make their moves in the summer transfer market
Transfer business is starting to step up in the Championship now the summer window has officially opened.
It was an important milestone when the market opened on Friday and it will be another when players’ contracts officially expire at the end of June – and another as squads start to return for pre-season training in the week that follows.
Only three clubs in the division have made two signings so far – Stoke City, Middlesbrough and Oxford United – and Derby County have stayed patient, with Corey Blackett-Taylor’s loan deal from Charlton becoming permanent. He made 12 appearances, including five starts, for Paul Warne on the way to promotion from League One, setting up one goal
In the coming days, Derby hopes to learn more about Ebou Adams, while Warne has already travelled to Denmark and Holland to assess a few players. Herbie Kane has also been connected to Derby, so it will be interesting to watch how things work out over the coming months.
Moving up the A50, Stoke signed Warne’s former goalkeeper Viktor Johansson from Rotherham United by using a relegation release fee, and they also signed Norwich’s 31-year-old center-back Ben Gibson on a free agency basis.
Oxford, who advanced through the play-offs, has added two new players thus far. Twenty-year-old custodian Jacob Knightbridge has joined West Ham, while thirty-year-old midfielder Will Vaulks has turned down a contract offer at
“It’s too much to say,” Vaulks said to BBC Sheffield. All I can say is that Oxford demonstrated a great deal of ambition. They have a manager and a head of recruitment who are driven to get things done, a budget they are permitted to spend, and a framework in place.
“That wasn’t how I felt on Wednesday, but I won’t hold it against
them. I won’t go into too much detail, but just know that it’s not because I’m greedy or anything; sometimes you just need to know that you’re going to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Luke Ayling, a 32-year-old centre back, signed a two-year contract with Middlesbrough to make his loan transfer permanent. Additionally, they signed 25-year-old
According to sources who spoke to Football Insider, Derby County is considering a bid to recruit former Celticprodigy Karamoko Dembele this summer.
The 21-year-old Dembele wowed Blackpool last season while on loan from Ligue 1 team Brest, dishing out 14 assists and nine goals.
He was named Blackpool’s Players’ Player of the Season and Supporters’ Player of the Season for his League One exploits.
In order to bolster their attacking options after being promoted to the Championship, sources claim Derby will look into signing the attacking midfielder on a loan or permanent basis.
Derby County is interested in signing Karamoko Dembele from Brest. Dembele played at Bloomfield Road as a right winger and an offensive midfielder, and he is thought to be a creative option going forward.
After making his debut for Celtic’s Under-20s squad in 2016 at the age of 13, the 21-year-old shot to fame as a young adolescent and garnered a lot of media attention.
After making his senior debut in 2019, he only played ten games in Scotland before departing Celtic in 2022 to sign a free transfer with Brest and then move on loan to Blackpool the following year.
Having played just 28 senior games before, his time in England has rekindled interest in and spark for his career, with 47 appearances making up the majority of his career to date.
However, after his impressive performances in League One, sources say Derby are ready to take a punt on him following their promotion.
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