Derby County could roll the dice on recent free agent to add midfield spark: View | OneFootball

Derby County led twice on New Year's Day but they were still unable to get anything out of their clash with Peterborough United.

The Rams went ahead in the first minute thanks to James Collins, only for Kwame Poku and Ricky Jade-Jones to score late and secure all three points for the visitors at Pride Park.

The East Midlands club are back in League One action on Saturday but the minds of EFL teams up and down the country will also be on business in the January transfer window.

Sunderland, but injury struck at an awful time for him.

Ovie Ejaria, recently released by Reading, could be someone that Derby roll the dice on, particularly given the status of Embleton.

Ovie Ejaria is a gamble worth making

Ejaria impressed during his Reading tenure, even playing some of his best football as a Royal.

He arrived at the Madejski in 2020, this being his first permanent transfer away from Anfield after three previous loans.

In his time with Reading, the 26-year-old played 127 games, contributing nine goals and 13 assists. His most prolific seasons came in the Championship, scoring three and assisting five in both 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Ejaria hit a downward curve at the same time that the club did and he managed only 422 minutes in the league last season. On top of that, he failed to make a single appearance in League One before being released.

On the club website, the following was given as the reasoning behind the decision: “Ejaria’s contract was due to expire after the end of this current season.

“However, with injury and fitness problems limiting first team action of late and a desire from the club to reduce its expenditure, an agreement was amicably reached for Ovie to leave the club early.”

Any potential suitors will be wary of the issues that Reading have cited here, two separate groin injuries plaguing him in the 2021/22 campaign alone.

That being said, on his day, Ejaria has shown himself as a major talent - whether it be as a youngster at Liverpool or when playing for Rangers and Reading more recently - and still just 26, the club that is able to help him fulfill his once lofty potential will be greatly rewarded.

His creative nous would be a huge asset to a high-flying League One team such as Derby and so Paul Warne and co. should take this calculated risk.

It isn’t as if the Rams are struggling in the attacking third, with Conor Hourihane and Tom Barkhuizen on five assists apiece thus far, just behind former Cardiff City man Nathaniel Mendez-Laing who has seven to his name.

This solid base that they already have makes a potential move for Ejaria less of a risk as he will have time to acclimatise and Derby are hardly a cash-strapped club.

Derby pushing for their Championship return

One thing that should appeal to Ejaria is Derby's ambition. They're a big club for the third tier and are pushing to return to the Championship at the second time of asking, which is likely a project he would get on board with.

As previously mentioned, Warne has several creative talents at his disposal, and the same goes for the number of players who are perfectly capable of putting the ball in the back of the net.

Alongside being assist leaders, the aforementioned trio are at the top end of the scoring charts for their side as well.

Also in the mix are James Collins and Martyn Waghorn on 10 and six respectively, both of whom have plied their trade in Scotland as well as playing for a number of different EFL sides.

This attacking prowess has pushed Derby to fourth thus far in the third-tier with the recent game against Peterborough United representing a missed opportunity to move up a position.

It has to be said that this division is extremely strong and Warne’s side are very much a part of the dominant cohort.

Promotion is the goal for a lot of these teams and adding Ejaria into that midfield could be a difference-maker at Pride Park with fixtures coming thick and fast.