Rams kid linked to Lausanne in rumour mill latest
DERBY County will be looking to bolster their squad ahead of the new Championship campaign.
The Rams are operating under a transfer embargo currently but they are hoping that will be lifted once everything is sorted with the EFL and a potential new ownership.
The transfer window is open and Derby can still sign players as long as there are no transfer fees involved and wages are sensible.
Derby are, as usual, being linked with plenty of players and here’s our latest round-up on what’s happening with some current and former Rams.
ARCHIE BROWN
Rams youngster Archie Brown is close to joining Swiss Super League side Lausanne Sport, according to French newspaper Le Matin.
The 19-year-old left-sided player was a regular with the Rams Under-23s in the past season.
Derby’s retained list released on Monday showed that Brown and Festy Ebosele had been offered new contracts but reports from Switzerland point to Brown departing the Rams.
He helped the Under-18s win the Premier League title in 2019 and scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win against Arsenal in the National Final.
SCOTT CARSON
Scott Carson is set to sign for Manchester City on a free transfer, says the Manchester Evening News.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper has been released by Derby County after six years with the club.
He has spent the past two seasons on loan with City, where he has provuided cover for Ederson and Zac Steffen.
Carson joined Derby from Wigan Athlteic in 2015 and made 171 appearances.
NEW SCHOLARS
Youngsters Adebayo Fapetu and Dubem Eze are among the intake of new scholars at Derby County.
The Rams retained list confirmed that both had joined the club.
Midfielder Fapetu is joining after 10 years at the Arsenal academy, while midfielder Eze arrives from Chelsea, who did not offer him
a scholarship.
GEORGE EDMUNDSON
Rangers have rejected a “number of bids” for defender George Edmundson, it has been reported.
The 23-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with Derby. He made 10 appearances, including eight starts, and started the last three matches. Edmundson would have played more games but he was sidelined for half-a-dozen after a hernia operation.
He joined Rangers from Oldham Athletic in 2019 in a £650,000 deal.
Brown helped the Under-18s win the Premier League title in 2019 and has been a regular with the Under-23s
MATT CROOKS
Derby are reportedly interested in Rotherham United midfielder Matt Crooks – but would face competition for the 27 year old.
The East Anglian Daily Times reports Ipswich Town are keen but reckons the Rams would also like to recruit a player who netted seven goals last season.
Crooks’ efforts weren’t enough to keep the Millers in the Championship as Derby stayed up at their expense on a dramatic final day.
But the 6ft 4in midfielder’s efforts added to his reputation, having scored 11 goals the previous year to help his club win promotion from League One.
Crooks, who can play in central midfield or as a striker, is entering the final year of his contract.
LEE GREGORY
Stoke City are trying to find a new club for Lee Gregory with the Potters happy to let the striker leave the club this summer, it is being reported.
Gregory spent the second half of last season at Derby County and scored three goals in 11 appearances before a hamstring injury ended his season.
The 32-year-old has a year to run on his contract.
Derby are looking to bolster their attacking options this summer after finishing as the lowest scorers in the Championship last season.
Wayne Rooney was impressed by Gregory, saying: “I think he has been fantastic – attitude, energy, hunger. He’s very good inside the six-yard box, his anticipation to get himself in the right position to score goals is very good.”
ALEX PRITCHARD
Alex Pritchard is in talks with Birmingham City, according to the speculation website Football League World.
The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has been released by Huddersfield Town.
He has also been linked with Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City.
Pritchard started his career at Tottenham Hotspur and had loans spells at Peterborough United, Swindon Town, Brentford and West Bromwich Albion.
He made an £8m move to Norwich City in the summer of 2016 and scored seven goals in 38 League games for the Canaries before an £11m move to Huddersfield in January 2018.
Pritchard scored three goals in 73 games for the Terriers.
ALBERT ADOMAH
Derby and a number of other Championship clubs are said to be monitoring Queens Park Rangers winger Albert Adomah.
Adomah made only seven starts in his 34 League appearances in the past season.
He has also been linked with Bristol City, Ipswich Town, Luton Town and Birmingham City although there has been “zero contact” between Bristol City and QPR or Adomah’s camp, the Bristol Post reports.
MATTY LONGSTAFF
Derby continue to be linked with a loan move for Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff.
The 21-year-old’s name was constantly paired with a potential move in the last summer transfer window and ahead of the January window.
Longstaff made only five appearances for Newcastle in the Premier League in 2020-21 and opportunities have been hard to come by under Steve Bruce.
The big decision that Bruce must make, according to the Newcastle Chronicle, is whether to loan Longstaff out for the start of pre-season, with Derby keen, or give the midfielder an opportunity to impress in the friendly fixture list.
PASCAL KPOHOMOUH
The 19-year-old defender is being released by Southampton and there is interest in him from a number of Championship clubs, Hampshirelive reports.
The player joined Southampton from Manchester City in 2018 and has been a regular in the under-18s and under-23s.
He has had short-term trials at Derby, Stoke City and Middlesbrough in the past season.