Derby County interest in £900k man is bad news for Joe Wildsmith: View | OneFootball

Joe Wildsmith was a huge part of the Derby County squad that won promotion back to the Championship this season.

Since arriving from boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2022, Wildsmith has been Paul Warne's first-choice stopper (since his September 2022 appointment) and was a constant in-between the sticks this season as the Rams returned to the second-tier after two seasons in League One.

Wildsmith picked up the League One Golden Glove for his 20 clean sheets this season, but his future is in doubt with his contract up at Pride Park this summer.

The 28-year-old will be hopeful that his good form sees him kept on at the club next season, but recent reports reveal that Derby 'may join the race' to sign Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Johansson would undoubtedly be courted as a starter for the Rams - which in turn would leave Wildsmith likely told to find a new club for next season unless he wants to play second fiddle.

Joe Wildsmith has been impressive for Derby

Wildsmith has been one of League One's finest shot-stoppers since he signed for Derby in 2022 after turning down a new contract at Hillsborough.

He played 89 games for the Owls after making his debut in 2015, but decided to move onto pastures new after seven years, and has not looked back since swapping Yorkshire for Derbyshire.

He did not miss a minute of League One, FA Cup and EFL Cup action in his first season at Pride Park - even keeping a clean sheet away at Anfield as Derby narrowly lost 3-2 on penalties after he had saved Stefan Bajectic's spot-kick.

In total, he kept 21 clean sheets in 54 games in all competitions as the Rams narrowly missed out on the League One play-offs by a single point.

His fine form continued into the 2023/24 season, and despite being dropped for six games after the turn of the year, he regained his place in the side and kept 10 clean sheets in their final 16 league games as Paul Warne's men finished second in the table with 92 points.

Wildsmith was pipped to the Team of the Season by Portsmouth 'keeper Will Norris, but won the Golden Glove for his 20 clean sheets in 40 league games - capping off a brilliant season on a personal level.

Despite his solid showings, Warne proved he is not undroppable after preferring back-up goalkeeper Josh Vickers for a run of games in January, and that could serve as a warning sign for Wildsmith for this summer.

With his contract expiring in July, he would likely not be short of suitors in the third tier and could well exit Pride Park if Derby pursue their interest in Johansson.

Viktor Johansson would be a coup for Derby County but would leave Joe Wildsmith in the cold

The Swedish stopper has been relegated from the Championship with Rotherham United this season, but the Millers may have conceded a lot more goals had it not been for his heroics in-between the sticks.

He has been hailed as a "cult-hero" during his time at the club, and won Rotherham's Player of the Season award for both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

Johansson has a £900,000 relegation release clause according to Alan Nixon, but is admired by a number of clubs ahead of an impending departure.

Sheffield United, Stoke City and Leeds United all reportedly hold an interest in the 25-year-old, so it could be a tough ask for Derby, as a newly-promoted Championship club, to acquire his services, but perhaps he can be tempted by Warne - the man who signed him for Rotherham in the first place.

Johansson would only join the Rams to start every league game as first-choice, meaning Wildsmith's days as number one would be over for the foreseeable future.

That would also likely spell the end of his time at Pride Park, with Derby unlikely to renew his contract and him possibly wanting to move on, as both him and the club act in his best interests.