Derby County look like they’re heading towards a busy January transfer window, in what will be their first transfer window under Paul Warne.
So far, the former Rotherham United boss has had a positive impact on this Derby County side. The Rams have lost just one of their last nine in League One and currently find themselves in 8th place of the table.
A few more recruits in January could be the difference between them and the play-offs this season, and here we look at the four Championship players who’ve been linked with a move to Pride Park ahead of January…
Darnell Fisher
Last month, Middlesbrough’s Darnell Fisher was linked with a loan move to Derby County.
The one-time Rotherham United man has featured 12 times in the Championship this season with injury hampering his campaign so far.
But Warne said soon after the links emerged that a move was unlikely. He told DerbyshireLive:
“I got told the other day that I had been linked with Darnell Fisher. There is zero truth in that. I know Darnell really well. If I want him I’d just phone him. So there is zero truth in that. It was said it was off a good source, but there is no better source than me.”
Is a move for Fisher likely?
Managers can often play down these kind of rumours as a bit of a smokescreen tactic, but Warne seems pretty adamant here that his side have no interest in Fisher.
Adam Idah
Norwich City’s young striker Adam Idah has been tipped to leave on loan in January, and Warne is said to be an admirer of his ahead of the winter transfer window.
The Sun say that Warne previously wanted to sign Idah on loan for Rotherham United but a move never materialised.
Now with Idah having featured just once in the Championship this season – largely owing to injury – it’s said that he could leave Carrow Road on a temporary basis in the New Year.
Is a move for Idah likely?
It certainly seems like a move that could make sense for all involved. Warne is said to be a long-term admirer of Idah and with the Irishman down in the pecking order at Norwich, and with Derby not exactly scoring a tonne of goals this season, the move seems like a profitable one for all involved.
Curtis Nelson
Alan Nixon claimed earlier this month that Derby County were keen on Cardiff City centre-back Curtis Nelson.
The 29-year-old has featured sporadically this season but he’s come into contention more over the past few weeks, taking his total Championship outings for this season to eight.
Warne though has played this rumour down, telling DerbyshireLive soon after it was reported:
“I’ve had no conversations with his agent so names just come up all the time. It’s unbelievable. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am linked to David Beckham if he comes out of retirement.””
Is a move for Nelson likely?
It doesn’t seem likely. Warne seems pretty certain that this Nelson rumour is false and with Nelson having featured more in recent weeks, a Janaury exit seems even more unlikely at this moment in time.
Duane Holmes
Yesterday, Nixon claimed that Huddersfield Town’s Duane Holmes could leave in January, with Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday mentioned as possible destinations.
The American was previously at Pride Park for two-and-a-half seasons before joining Town midway through the 2020/21 campaign.
Is a move for Holmes likely?
Holmes has featured in all 20 of Huddersfield Town’s league games so far this season, so where this rumour is stemming from remains to be seen.
He hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons so far but neither have Huddersfield. It seems unlikely that Town would sanction Holmes’ exit in January given their current league position, and a return to Derby County also seems like an unlikely outcome on the face of it.