Derby County may have struck transfer gold - "Teams are spending double" the £7m fee paid by John Eustace | OneFootball

Patrick Agyemang signed for Derby County this summer from Charlotte FC in the MLS

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County's start to the 2025/26 campaign has been far from ideal, winning just one of their opening nine league games, but there has been a bright spark up top that will give Rams fans something to hold onto.

The Rams have endured a difficult start to the new campaign, with pressure beginning to build slightly on manager John Eustace, especially after having brought in 13 new players this summer.

The biggest of those arrivals was USMNT forward Patrick Agyemang, who switched from the MLS with Charlotte FC to England with Derby for a fee of around £7.3 million.

Agyemang has scored once and assisted twice in five appearances so far in the second tier and has looked bright despite Derby's struggles.

Having undergone a hernia operation earlier in the season, the American is yet to be fully fit, with Derby fans hoping that he can regain full fitness sooner rather than later to help pull themselves away from the relegation places.

Patrick Agyemang verdict made - he 'looks a real handful'

Speaking to Football League World, Derby fan pundit Shaun has provided his opinion on whether Agyemang will prove to be worth the money that Derby spent to bring him to the club.

Shaun said: "I think nowadays £7 million for a striker isn't actually a great deal of money.

"Teams are spending double that in the Championship, especially on strikers, because they are premium rate, they win you matches.

"I think [it's] early days, but he [Agyemang] looks really, really good. He's raw, he's getting up to the pace and the physicality of the Championship, but he's got a brilliant partner in [Carlton] Morris to teach him and to learn off.

"He looks a real threat, he's obviously a big lad, he's going to win a lot in the air, he's got quite a decent pace over five yards as well, he likes to take a man on, so he can beat a centre-half in more than one way, which is exciting.

"He's admitted he's not fully fit, so he's only going to get better, so yeah, I have really high hopes for him.

"[He has] a goal and two assists already in his first few games, so yeah, he looks a real handful, and I think he has got a real bright future ahead for Derby."

Patrick Agyemang can turn Derby County's form around for John Eustace

Having already become a fully-fledged member of the USA men's national team, starting for former Spurs and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the likes of Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright, Agymenang's ability is evident to see.

With the likes of Ben Brereton Diaz, Morris, Bobby Clark, Rhian Brewster and Andreas Weimann surrounding him in attack, Agyemang shouldn't struggle for chances once he gets up and running.

Manager Eustace will need him to get up to speed quickly if he is to alleviate pressure on his position as manager, and with an away trip to Oxford United up next for the Rams, he will need his American forward at his best of his abilities in what will be an important fixture for both sides in the lower end of the Championship table.

Agyemang possesses the required ability to score Derby's goals to fire them up the table, and Eustace must provide him with the best possible platform to do what he does best should his side climb the table.