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Paul Warne fixes key issue, Krystian Bielik and Derby County’s dream transfer window
Derby County are now free to start their transfer business as Paul Warne plots another promotion push at Pride Park.
After missing out on the play-offs on the last day of the season, hopes are high the Rams can go one better as they look to return to the second tier.
Rams boss Paul Warne is expected to address every area of the squad moving forwards, but what does the dream window look like in terms of incomings and outgoings?
Derbyshire Live has taken a look….
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Incomings
Derby are expected to reinforce every area of the squad, but some positions are more of a priority than others.
Finding a replacement for David McGoldrick, who left to join Notts County at the weekend, will be chief among them.
But strikers capable of scoring 20 or more goals in a season are not easy to find, they don’t come cheap, and there are no guarantees either.
The dream would be to find not one, but two strikers, hitting double figures given there was an overreliance on McGoldrick particularly at the back end of last season.
Ideally, Derby would need four centre-forwards if they are to play 3-5-2 next season, a formation that Warne likes and trusts given it proved so successful at Rotherham.
Having a quartet of strikers on the books, with James Collins being among them, would make sure they had enough cover if there was an injury crisis.
In midfield, the fans would also love a strong combative player to help ease concerns about Derby being too lightweight in the middle of the pitch. That would undoubtedly be celebrated should Derby pull it off.
Wing-backs will also feature prominently in what proved to be a problematic position for the entire campaign. This season, players were shoehorned into that role with Korey Smith, Jason Knight and Jake Rooney all being tasked with filling it despite it not being their natural position.
Derby did enquire about Tommy Smith last summer while Brooke Norton-Cuffy also darted onto their radar back in January. But players of that ilk who know and understand the role would just allow Smith and Knight to return to midfield permanently.
The same can be said of the left-hand side which was deprived of any natural wing-backs with Louie Sibley, Haydon Roberts and Tom Barkhuizen deployed there.
Utopia would be adding four wing-backs who are not just competent defensively but good in attack given they will be expected to be a creative outlet. It would fix one of the biggest issues heading into the window.
And finally, that leaves the centre-backs and we already know what resembles Warne’s perfect vision. Strong centre-backs who pose a threat from set-pieces.
It was one of his biggest bugbears last season that Derby did not pack much of a threat from deadball situations given the quality of Conor Hourihane’s delivery.
Regan Poole would be a quality addition should Derby decide to move for the defender who is a free agent after leaving Lincoln City.
He can play centre-back or wing-back which would kill two birds with one stone. Not only does he fit the age profile that Derby are seeking, age 24-29, but he would also add leadership given he was Lincoln’s captain.
Outgoings
Derby were among the top teams to use the least amount of players in League One but the lack of depth did become an issue during the course of the season.
Players were sometimes shoehorned into positions unfamiliar to them which is a problem Warne will be keen to address this window.
While the main focus will be on adding players to the squad, there are still one or two players with question marks over their future.
Derby could do with Krystian Bielik’s future being resolved sooner rather than later although no club has yet to submit a formal offer.
Birmingham want him, but they will need to address their issues with FFP first before they can move forward with any deal.
They will be owed a chunk of money from Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid as part of a sell-on clause inserted into the deal when he moved to Dortmund three years ago.
His brother Jobe is now on his way to Sunderland in a deal worth £3m that may help them towards making Bielik’s move a permanent one.
If Birmingham could put a seven-figure offer on the table for Bielik, preferably before July, that would be a dream scenario.
Finding loan moves for Liam Thompson and Jake Rooney, preferably in League Two, would also be ideal given the chances of regular first-team football looks to be remote.
What would you dream transfer window be? Have your say in the comments section.
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