Derby County are secretly dodging the same Rangers transfer bullet as Sheffield United | OneFootball

Sheffield United dodged a transfer bullet that Rangers did not, with Derby County perhaps secretly dodging the same bullet in 2026...

Despite not having the busiest summer transfer windows in the Championship so far, there is plenty of optimism surrounding both Derby County and Sheffield United heading into the 2026/27 campaign.

With the new season now just a few weeks away, both clubs will believe they have realistic aspirations of challenging towards the top end of the table, even if automatic promotion may ultimately prove to be a difficult target in what looks likely to be another fiercely competitive division.

John Eustace will hope Derby County can build on the progress made last season by taking another step forward, while Chris Wilder will be under pressure to ensure Sheffield United are firmly in the promotion conversation after an underwhelming summer to date.

Recruitment remains a priority for both clubs, with strengthening in key areas likely to continue right up until deadline day as they look to fine-tune squads capable of sustaining yet another lengthy Championship promotion push. Setbacks are natural, however, which has been an issue for both sides in their pursuit of improving.

Derby County set to miss out on Oliver Antman transfer deal as Anderlecht swoop

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After the impressive loan of Jaydon Banel, wide areas are among the positions Derby have been looking to improve. However, one such transfer setback may not be quite as damaging as it initially appears. The Rams look set to miss out on Oliver Antman, with the Finnish international instead closing in on a move to Belgian giants Anderlecht.

Rangers are set to seal a £4.5 million deal with Anderlecht for Derby target Antman. That said, given Derby's need for greater creativity and depth out wide, losing a target to another club is rarely ideal, particularly so close to the start of the campaign.

The silver lining is that there are reasons to believe this could prove to be something of a blessing in disguise. Antman arrived at Rangers with a growing reputation and was expected to establish himself as an important part of their attack, but things never truly clicked at Ibrox.

Across 28 appearances in all competitions last season, he found the net just once, while assisting five times, and struggling to consistently influence matches or justify the excitement that surrounded his arrival.

That lack of output inevitably raises questions over whether he would have represented value for money. Derby would almost certainly have needed to commit a sizeable portion of their transfer budget to tempt Rangers into selling after just one season, making the risk even greater.

Sheffield United's interest in Rangers' Oliver Antman

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Interestingly, Sheffield United have already experienced a similar disappointment regarding Antman. The Blades were unable to land the winger during the 2025/26 summer transfer window before he opted for Rangers instead.

Sheffield United wanted Antman after a sparkling season with Go Ahead Eagles, with the wide player scoring six and assisting 16 in 36 matches for the Dutch outfit. Looking back now, they may feel they avoided an expensive mistake rather than missing out on a transformative signing.

Derby could ultimately arrive at the same conclusion, despite the fact that there is no doubting Antman's talent and the fact that players often need time to settle after changing clubs. Yet for a side with ambitions of challenging for promotion, investing heavily in someone coming off such an underwhelming campaign would have carried significant risk.

The Championship is unforgiving, which is why recruitment mistakes can quickly prove to be costly over the course of a 46-game season. For now, alternatives ought to be sought, with both teams needing wide players. Sheffield United have already lost Andre Brooks to Norwich City this summer, too.

Derby County's summer transfer window so far

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The Rams would arguably be better served targeting a winger with either stronger recent numbers or a more proven record of consistency. Eustace certainly needs greater competition and quality in the wide areas, but that does not necessarily mean Antman was the ideal solution.

Sheffield United dodged a year earlier.

Antman's reputation remains intact to an extent because of what he achieved before Rangers, but his output in Glasgow simply did not justify what would likely have been another expensive move. If Derby now redirect those funds towards a more reliable attacking option, this apparent disappointment could yet work in their favour.