Derby County keen on swoop for Luton Town forward | OneFootball

The 29-year-old scored just once in the Premier League last season.

Derby County have sparked an interest in Luton Town striker Cauley Woodrow, with Paul Warne bidding to add to his attacking options in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

That's according to a report from journalist Alan Nixon via Patreon, who has claimed that Woodrow is a target for the Rams, but Luton will need to find a replacement before any deal can be made between the two Championship clubs.

Derby are looking for a new forward after their 4-2 opening day loss to Blackburn Rovers on Friday, with manager Paul Warne calling for another number nine a couple of weeks ago following a defeat to Barnsley in pre-season.

Woodrow scored just once in the Premier League in 2023/24, but is experienced in the second tier, having found the back of the net 46 times in 213 games in his career.

Derby County looking to add Cauley Woodrow to current attacking options

Despite signing Jerry Yates and Kayden Jackson already this summer, the Rams are still lacking firepower up top, with their current collection of strikers scoring just 34 goals between them in the 2023/24 season.

James Collins led the line for Derby in the previous campaign, and fired in 14 League One goals. However, his Championship record is less than inspiring, and he may struggle to be the same competitive force as he once was, prompting Warne to look elsewhere.

Young striker Dajaune Brown is in need of a loan to a club in either League One or League Two after impressing at Gateshead in the National League at the latter end of last season, while Conor Washington has been an outcast in pre-season.

Yates is suspended for the opening three games of 2024/25, having already missed the defeat to Blackburn, and will not be available until the Rams' trip to Vicarage Road to play Watford on August 24.

With such a need for another forward, it comes as no surprise that Warne is looking for an experienced player like Woodrow.

Cauley Woodrow's recent Championship goal tally is a worry

Despite a steady flow of goals for Barnsley in both the second and third tier, the 29-year-old has struggled in the last couple of years since joining Luton.

He has scored just three times in the league for the Hatters, despite playing 41 times, and has been forced to watch on from the sidelines for the majority of his career at Kenilworth Road.

In his last trip to the Championship, he found the back of the net twice and played just 738 minutes, averaging just over 27 minutes per appearance.

The Rams may be worried that they will be dragged into a relegation dogfight as the season wears on, and they will need their strikers to pitch in when they can. But, with Woodrow's less than inspiring recent escapades, there could be a worry that he may not be able to provide the goals that are needed.

However, he will ramp up competition among Derby's strikers, and that can only be a positive for Warne, with the Rams welcoming Middlesbrough to Pride Park on Saturday for their first home league fixture of 2024/25.