Derby County sought defense reinforcements during the summer transfer window.
Derby County’s defensive choices didn’t require much modification, but Paul Warne wanted to add some depth to them.
They accomplished just that with a loan agreement for Liverpool’s Nat Phillips. He’ll be up against Eiran Cashin, Curtis Nelson, Sonny Bradley, and Jake Rooney for a spot in the starting XI, with Cashin and Nelson the favorites at this point.
Other players were associated with the Rams, but some ended up going elsewhere, and some rumors just did not materialize.
One candidate rumored to be on the radar was Swedish defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, who was struggling for playing time with Celtic. However, after moving to the Netherlands with FC Twente, his game time troubles persisted.
Lagerbielke signed in late August, and the Derby County summer target is yet to make his debut. The 24-year-old has been an unused substitute in all four games thus far.
If Lagerbielke had joined Derby County rather than FC Twente, you would have expected him to see more action in his pursuit of regular minutes.
He might not have gotten the starting role, however. The fact that Phillips has failed to unseat Cashin or Nelson suggests that the Celtic loanee would have suffered a similar fate.
Nonetheless, Phillips has seen some time off the bench. He’s obviously pressing for a starting job, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he got it later on.
Summer signings impress
Derby County have seen a number of their summer signings thrive at this early point of the season.
Goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is on his way to becoming a fan favourite, while Ebou Adams has resumed his career following a successful loan. Fellow midfielders Kenzo Goudmijn, David Ozoh, and Kayden Jackson have all adjusted in nicely.
Ben Osborn and Jerry Yates have also found starting positions, while Phillips and Marcus Harness compete for them.
