Derby County hopes to re-establish themselves in the second division in 2024/25 after being promoted from League One the previous season.
The Rams achieved promotion by finishing second in the third division with 92 points, and they return to the Championship for the next season under Paul Warne after two years away.
Warne has overseen numerous departures from his promotion-winning squad this summer, allowing club captain Conor Hourihane, Dwight Gayle, Scott Loach, Korey Smith, Martyn Waghorn, and Joe Wildsmith to leave Pride Park when their contracts expired at the beginning of July, while Louie Sibley turned down a new deal to join fellow second-tier newcomers Oxford United.
Meanwhile, James Collins, Tom Barkhuizen, Craig Forsyth, and Liam Thompson have all extended their contracts with the club for another year, while Darren Robinson has signed a new two-year contract, indicating that Warne has made a firm decision on who he wants in his squad for the forthcoming season.
As a result of those departures, the Rams have been active in the transfer market, with Jerry Yates and David Ozoh joining on loan from Swansea City and Crystal Palace, respectively, while Ebou Adams has made his loan move from Cardiff City permanent for a reported initial fee of £500,000, and AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kenzo Goudmijn has moved to Pride Park for an apparent £690,000.
Warne has also signed Ben Osborn, Corey Blackett-Taylor, and Kayden Jackson on free transfers from Sheffield United, Charlton Athletic, and Ipswich Town.
The former Rotherham manager is undoubtedly assembling a squad that he believes will be sufficient to withstand their return to the Championship, and he is unlikely to be finished with incomings or outgoings just yet, despite the Rams’ curtain-raiser against Blackburn Rovers on August 9 looming closer.
Derby could be in for a rough season
The Rams have had some mixed results in their pre-season fixtures leading up to the start of the new season, and while scorelines are not the most important factor in friendlies, they will have given Warne a lot to think about in terms of his squad’s strengths and weaknesses at the moment.
His team opened their pre-season campaign with an expected 3-0 success against non-league Matlock Town, then beat League One Stockport County 1-0, but then lost 4-0 to Chesterfield and 4-3 to Barnsley before winning 2-1 against Real Valladolid.
Everyone associated with Derby will be hoping for a successful return to the Championship in the coming season, but they should expect to struggle. We chatted with Football League World’s resident Rams fan commentator Shaun Woodward about how he thinks his club will fare in 2024/25.
“If I’m completely honest, with the lack of a new goalkeeper and striker, I believe we will struggle,” he told Football League World.
“Our transfer window has been okay, but without those two signings, I believe it is closer to a six out of ten.
“To be honest, I believe we will finish between 16th and 20th this season, which is what I would like to do.
“I know expectations are always high for us because we’ve always pushed for the playoffs, but I believe we need to lower them this season and be more realistic.
“We were in League One last season, and our budget isn’t as big as some of those other clubs, so I’ll be very happy if we can just get through this season and then press on to the next one.
“Achieving mid-table would be fantastic, but realistically, I believe we will finish in the mid to lower half.
“As long as we stay up, I’m happy.”
Warne requires fresh additions.
While the Rams manager has already witnessed a significant movement in his squad this season, he will be eager for more fresh faces to arrive at Pride Park to improve his squad before the transfer market closes on August 30.
Derby are severely lacking in goalkeepers following the departures of Joe Wildsmith and Scott Loach earlier this summer, with Josh Vickers currently serving as Warne’s only senior shot-stopper in the squad, and a new number one is definitely required, given Vickers’ lack of experience in the second tier and the fact that he was only number two in League One.
The Rams have been linked with keepers Daniel Iversen and Mat Ryan in recent months, and a move for Djurgardens goalkeeper Jacob Widdell Zetterstrom appeared to be on track after a medical last week, but the Swede has admitted he is still unsure whether he will move to the East Midlands, implying a new target may be on the horizon.
| Jacob Widell Zetterström’s 2024 season so far | |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 17 |
| Clean sheets | 7 |
| Saves per game | 2.2 |
| Goals conceded | 16 |
| Saves made | 38 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Average rating | 7.03 |
| Stats as per Sofascore (correct as of 05/08/24) | |
There are depth issues at centre-back and attacking midfield that must be addressed, but the major challenge for Warne will be finding a new striker, despite having four on his roster.
He has spoken of the need to “strengthen the front line” in the coming weeks, but does not believe the club’s desired number nine will be available for the trip to Ewood Park.
The Rams’ current striking quintet of Jerry Yates, James Collins, Conor Washington, and Kayden Jackson may not seem awful on paper, but it is evident that they want to bring in reinforcements as they prepare for a difficult 2024/25 season.