Derby County suffer transfer setback following Brighton, Rangers agreement | OneFootball

Derby County were linked with a deal to sign Chris Condy earlier this season

Derby County are firmly in the mix for a play-off place this season under John Eustace.

The 46-year-old celebrated his one-year anniversary in charge at Pride Park in February, and the team have come on leaps and bounds over that 12 month period.

The Rams managed to avoid relegation back to League One in their first campaign in the Championship, finishing 19th in the table and just one point clear of the bottom three.

And the club are now in the fight for a top six finish, which they haven’t earned at this level since they were managed by Frank Lampard during 2018/19.

A busy summer of transfer activity saw owner David Clowes invest in the first team squad in what was Eustace’s first chance to shape the first team squad to his liking after replacing Paul Warne in the dugout.

And they are now just six points behind sixth place Wrexham with 11 games still to go, meaning they could yet still be in the frame for promotion to the Premier League, 18 years after they were last in the division.

Derby County lose out in Rangers transfer pursuit

Derby are set to miss out on the signing of Chris Condy after a deal was agreed between Rangers and Brighton.

It has been reported by the Daily Record that the Seagulls have come to terms with the Glasgow giants for the 16-year-old, with a medical set ahead of his proposed move.

Derby were linked with the teenager during the January transfer window, but were unable to secure a move for the player despite making an offer to the Scottish side.

A number of clubs, including Fulham, were keen on the youngster, but he is now closing in on a move to the Sussex outfit ahead of the summer transfer window.

Rangers signed Condy in the summer from Hamilton Academical, but his contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign as he only agreed to a one-year deal.

This has opened the door for Fabian Hurzeler's side to swoop in and agree a deal with Rangers to sign the youngster.

The Rams are now set to miss out on the forward, who has impressed with his goal scoring feats at underage level this season.

Eustace’s side are currently eighth in the Championship table, six points adrift of the play-off places.

Next up for Derby is a home clash against Sheffield Wednesday on 7 March in a 3pm kick-off.

Chris Condy move is a minor setback for Derby

Condy has been sensational at underage level for Rangers, scoring over 20 times for their academy side this season.

It’s no surprise that there were so many clubs eyeing his signature, and he could’ve been a very promising addition at Pride Park.

However, Brighton can offer a pathway to Premier League football, which is always going to be tempting for a player in Condy’s position.

This is a blow for the Rams, as they could look back on this deal in the years to come and wonder what could’ve been, provided the striker eventually lives up to this potential.