How transfer window could change it for young strikers
THE January transfer window could provide Derby County with a dilemma over their young forwards.
Jahmal Hector-Ingram, Jack Stretton and Morgan Whittaker have been in and around the firstteam squad this season.
Hector-Ingram, who is 22, has made three appearances as a substitute.
Stretton, who is 19 and leading scorer for the under-23s, has come off the bench twice in recent matches.
Whittaker, also 19, has made only two substitute appearances since mid-October and has not started a first-team fixture since the Carabao Cup tie against Preston North End in September.
The three of them are currently bolstering Derby’s forward options and featuring for the under-23s.
Loan spells are often part of a young player’s development and can provide much-needed regular exposure to senior football when more can be learned about them.
Some managers, as we saw with Phillip Cocu, prefer the pick of the young players to remain at the club, where they can train day in, day out with the first team and develop.
Other managers see it differently and think playing regularly is the better way forward rather than being regular starters at under-23 level or sitting on the bench.
Clubs are likely to be interested in possible loan deals for the trio, and that would likely be beneficial for the players – but can the Rams
afford for Jahmal Hector-Ingram, Stretton or Whittaker to leave?
Derby’s squad is desperately short of goals, as their record of eight in 16 League games shows. It is the lowest tally in the Championship.
That is the dilemma, although adding to the striking department in January would change the situation.