John Eustace surely faces simple Derby County transfer decision with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen | OneFootball

The Rams duo have struggled in the Championship this season and they must both leave in the summer.

John Eustace has started to finally make an impact at Derby County, and he has put his team into a strong position with just eight games to go in the Championship season.

The Rams are just one point behind Cardiff City and Stoke City following three successive victories, and with safety in touching distance, confidence is starting to grow quickly at Pride Park Stadium following a difficult start to 2025.

Eustace was brought in just days after the January transfer window concluded, and it is clear to see that his team are lacking in many areas. The summer can not come quick enough for the 45-year-old as he looks to strengthen his squad, but decisions must be made with those who are due to leave.

Derby do not have enough quality in multiple departments, and they are still suffering from some of the after-effects of administration, with the backbone of the club still being built up on free agents from previous seasons and two of those first arrivals in 2022 could be on their way out once this season comes to an end.

Tom Barkhuizen must not be handed a new contract

Eustace has reverted to a 5-3-2 in recent weeks, and his Rams side have benefited greatly from this more defensively solid formation, with a midfield trio of Ebou Adams, Harrison Armstrong and Liam Thompson giving them the perfect base to build from.

Marcus Harness is partnering Jerry Yates in a free role up front to provide a threat from both out wide and down the middle that the team has lacked so greatly this season, but this has meant that there is no place for wingers.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen are both suffering because of this, and the decision to let go of the pair that helped Derby win promotion to the Championship in 2023/24 should be made in the summer.

The latter of the two is out of contract once this campaign comes to an end, and after playing just 16 times in the second tier with the Rams, it seems extremely unlikely that he will be handed a new deal by Eustace.

He has not been able to make too big of an impact at all this season, despite having plenty of Championship experience in the past, and at 31, it is clear to see that League One is perhaps more his level.

Mendez-Laing must be sold by Derby for a fee in the summer

Mendez-Laing must also be on his way out of Pride Park in the summer, with his place in Eustace's team disappearing in recent weeks.

The Guatemala international has been Derby's captain over the course of the campaign, but he has not featured in the last four matches, with Adams now being handed the armband.

With just two goals and four assists, it has not been a campaign to remember at all for Mendez-Laing, and as he does have a year left on his current contract, the Rams do have the opportunity to get a fee for him in the transfer window.

The 32-year-old had an excellent time in League One last season, scoring nine goals and registering 16 assists, but similar to Barkhuizen, it looks as though the step-up to the Championship has been too great and returning to the third tier could be the best for all parties.

Nevertheless, Derby and Eustace will still be looking for a decent fee for the winger, and a transfer saga surrounding him could occur in the summer.