After confirming League One football again next summer Derby County will be looking to bring in fresh faces to improve their chances of getting back into the second tier.
The Rams lost to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day, and with Peterborough United beating Barnsley 2-0, they lifted themselves into the top 6 at Derby’s expense.
This will mean that the summer transfer window will be a busy one for Rams manager Paul Warne, as he looks to find the winning recipe to stir Derby back into the Championship.
It will be difficult for Derby to lure players to Pride Park, as they are in a transfer embargo by the EFL. They won’t be able to pay any loan or transfer fees until next season after they were docked a 21 point deduction in 2021, with Derby having to pay the price of the transfer embargo for the two seasons after.
Below, we look at transfer rumours and potential players that could be playing their football at Pride Park next season.
Steven Caulker –
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At 31, Steven Caulker could be looking for his last move this summer and The Rams are top of the list for the English born defender.
The experienced defender who’s made 336 career appearances across a 14-year career, could be a right coup from the scouting team at Pride Park.
Scoring for England in a friendly against Sweden back in 2012 in a 4-2 loss, Caulker scored in his only appearance for The Three Lions.
An academy graduate of Tottenham Hotspur, and a current player of League 1 rivals next season Wigan Athletic. Due to financial reasons Wigan cannot afford to renew his contract so the Sierra Leone international will be available on a free transfer.
How Likely is this one?
A younger version of Derby’s own Curtis Davies (38), this could be something that Derby can look to explore, with the player being out of contract it’s a signing that is likely to happen in the coming months if Caulker is happy to play League 1 football next season.
A leader on and off the pitch, with plenty of experience not just in England, I think this a no brainer for The Rams.
Alfie May –
After another successful season, Alfie May is expected to leave Cheltenham Town, and Derby is reportedly one of many teams interested.
The prolific striker is proven at League One level and is out of contract in 2024, but could leave on a free this summer due to him not wanting to renew his contract at his parent club.
At 29, May will be looking at the last chance to possibly progress his career and with a better chance of promotion in the east midlands than at his current club, it may not take a lot to tice the Englishman to Pride Park this summer.
How likely is this one?
This is slightly less realistic than Caulker due to a lot of Championship sides monitoring May, as he makes a final decision on his future.
Derby would have to do a lot in order for them to be able to bring the Millwall academy graduate to Pride Park but if they pull this one off they could already have one foot in the door in their bid for promotion.
Could you imagine May and McGoldrick as your front two Rams fans?
Click here for a video of all of Alfie May’s goals this season
Haydon Roberts –
From Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion, Haydon Roberts has been on loan at Derby this season. During his tenure at the club, the defender has made 32 appearances in League One, starting 13 of the last 16 league games.
While it is unclear what Brighton will do with the 20-year-old, whose contract at his current club expires in the summer, Warne did not rule out signing the defender on a permanent basis and has said it is in one of the clubs priorities this summer.
The 20-year-old has averaged 0.9 clearances, 0.7 tackles and an average rating from fotmob.com of 6.87 this season scoring 2 goals and registering 1 assist.
How likely is this one?
It is possible that Roberts may be permitted to depart the Seagulls this summer on a free transfer. However, Brighton’s strong defensive line-up could see him exit the club, despite being a young prospect.
Derby is his most likely destination with Roberts knowing the club and Paul Warne’s tactics very well. It will be down to Brighton if they want to extend the youngster’s contract but will be an exciting one to watch in the coming weeks.
