Rooney waits for squad lift after breakthrough
DERBY County manager Wayne Rooney says he is “planning blind” about the squad rebuilding task facing the club this summer until new owners come in.
Uncertainty off the field has surrounded the Rams all season but there is confidence a potential takeover can now speed up following last week’s “huge breakthrough”.
The Rams have been in administration for almost five months but obstacles have prevented a takeover being completed.
One of the obstacles was Middlesbrough’s compensation claim against Derby but on Friday both clubs said in a statement that former Rams owner Mel Morris and Middlesbrough’s owner Steve Gibson had reached a resolution over the claim and that it had come as a “direct result of private conversations” between Morris and Gibson.
There is confidence a sale of the club can now move forward and Rooney will be seeking an update.
“Yes, I have,” Rooney said when asked if he had plans to speak with the administrators this week.
He added: “Potentially, there might be a chance I can bring a player or two in. I am sure I will get those answers, but first of all we need owners at the club to come in and help us move forward.
“We have to plan, of course. In the summer, between the first team and the under-23s, I think we need about 40 players.
“It is a big task, so we need to be sure we are ready.”
Are you ready, Rooney was asked?
“You can plan and get ready as much as you can but then this is where you need owners in to say you can do this, you can do that, otherwise you are planning blind,” he said.
“I need someone to say this is your budget, this is what you can do.”
Derby’s squad lost a number of players in the January transfer window.
The transfer embargo meant they were unable to extend Phil Jagielka’s contract and the 39-year-old defender joined Stoke City on a free transfer.
Midfielder Graeme Shinnie,
whose deal had only six months to run, was sold to Wigan Athletic for a nominal fee, while the contract of striker Sam Baldock was not renewed.
Experienced goalkeeper David Marshall signed for Queens Park Rangers, Jordan Brown left for Leyton Orient, young left-back Dylan Williams moved to Chelsea and striker Luke Plange signed for Crystal Palace, but he will remain at Derby on loan for the rest of the season before linking up with Palace in the summer.
The squad could be further depleted at the end of the season when a number of players are out of contract.
The list includes skipper and leading scorer Tom Lawrence, goalkeepers Ryan Allsop and Kelle Roos, defenders Nathan Byrne, Richard Stearman, Curtis Davies and Craig Forsyth, striker Colin Kazimrichards as well as Festy Ebosele, Ravel Morrison, Louie Watson and Isaac Hutchinson, who is currently on loan at Crawley Town.
Lee Buchanan’s contract expires this summer and Derby are looking to take up a 12-month option on the defender’s deal.
The transfer embargo the club is under currently prevents them from signing players and extending the contracts of current players in the squad.
The Rams’ administrators are to meet with Wycombe Wanderers in the coming days to discuss the League One club’s compensation claim against the Rams, it is being reported.
Following the settlement of Middlesbrough’s compensation claim against Derby last week, the Wycombe issue remains.
Rob Dorsett, of Sky Sports, has tweeted: “#dcfc administrators to meet with #wycombe reps in next 48hrs to thrash out resolution to their legal claim. I’m told any settlement should be less than 6-figures. Interested parties could then move to formal offers, if that barrier is removed.”
One of Derby’s joint administrators, Andrew Hosking, was asked about the Wycombe situation in an in-depth interview on Friday.
“The Wycombe resolution, I don’t think that will be an impediment,” he said.
“In fact we don’t consider that something that the purchasers will necessarily need to look at. We think there is a way through. The Wycombe chairman, like Mr Gibson, believes passionately in their position. We will endeavour to reach out to them to see if an accommodation can be reached.”