Derby County must eye second Ipswich Town transfer raid after Szmodics deal | OneFootball

Derby County should target Ipswich Town forward Anis Mehmeti this summer after completing Sammie Szmodics swoop

Derby County began the 2026/27 campaign with a 2-1 defeat away to Charlton Athletic, as head coach John Eustace will have a clear idea of where he must improve the Rams squad before the end of the summer window.

Indeed, it wasn’t the start to the season which Derby would have hoped for, losing out to Charlton at The Valley following their 2-1 home defeat to Lincoln City in the League Cup the previous weekend.

The Rams have been busy in the window once again, bringing in the likes of Charlie Taylor, Filip Bilbija, and Alex Mowatt on permanent deals, whilst both Bobby Clark and Sammie Szmodics have returned to the club for multi-million-pound fees after their successful loan spells at Pride Park last year.

Eustace toyed with a 4-2-3-1 formation in the second half of last campaign, but with Jaydon Banel and Ben Brereton Diaz having returned to their parent clubs since, a lack of wide options has meant they have had to revert to wing-backs for now, as the former Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers boss must remedy this by swooping for another Ipswich Town star after Szmodics.

Derby County should try and sign Anis Mehmeti from Ipswich Town this summer

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Towards the latter stages of last season, as Derby charged towards a play-off spot, pivotal to their run was Dutch winger Banel, who arrived on loan from Burnley in the January window.

However, since his return to Turf Moor, a vacancy has been left on the left flank that Eustace has yet to properly address, and he should consider doing so with a move for Ipswich forward Anis Mehmeti.

Mehmeti, 25, spent time in the youth ranks of Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Norwich City before plying his trade at semi-professional level with Woodford Town, before earning a professional deal with Wycombe Wanderers.

The five-capped Albanian international would shine for the Chairboys in the third tier, eventually earning a move to Bristol City in January 2023, with whom he made 136 appearances across all competitions, scoring 26 and assisting nine in three years at Ashton Gate.

He'd join Ipswich Town for an initial £3 million in January 2026, helping the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League with two goals and two assists in 18 games, but now, he could be on the move once again, as Derby must remain on alert.

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Ipswich have undergone a huge change both on and off the pitch this summer, with Kieran McKenna having left his position as head coach after three promotions in four-and-a-half years at Portman Road, whilst numerous attacking reinforcements mean competition for a place in the starting XI is at an all-time high.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Strasbourg boss Gary O'Neil has overseen the additions of the likes of Daizen Maeda, Abdul Fatawu, and Julio Enciso to the positions just behind the centre-forward, leaving Mehmeti's place in the squad uncertain.

Each of Marcelino Nunez, Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene, Chuba Akpom, Sindre Walle Egeli, and Kasey McAteer can all each deputise in any of the positions behind the centre-forward, and with O'Neil seemingly switching to a 3-4-2-1 shape, there are fewer places up for grabs, as exits before the end of the window will surely occur, as Mehmeti could be a casualty.

Why Anis Mehmeti would be an excellent option for Derby County

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With 170 games at Championship level after just three full years of regularly playing in the division, Mehmeti knows exactly what the league is about, and with a promotion under his belt, he now knows what it takes to help to get a side out of it.

With Bristol City, he often operated as one of the two number tens behind the main centre-forward alongside Scott Twine, and upon his move to Ipswich, was often utilised through the middle rather than on the wing.

However, the Albanian is more than capable of playing off the left if required, and would give Derby another option on that flank if Eustace decides to switch shape.

His versatility means that he will not struggle to adapt to any one position, and at 25, still has ample room to improve and develop his game, as the Rams should look to be the beneficiaries of Ipswich's abundance of attacking options.

It's clear Derby are in desperate need of more attacking threat before the end of the window, and a move for Mehmeti ought to be on the cards, whether that be on loan or a permanent deal.

John Eustace must eye further recruitments before the end of the window at Derby County

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With five through the doors so far, there is still room for improvement at Pride Park for Derby before the window slams shut at the beginning of September.

Additions in the final third are a necessity, especially with Brereton Diaz and Banel's departures, as well as Patrick Agyemang not yet back from injury, and not expected to return anytime soon.

Matt Clarke's injury at the back leaves Derby short on options in the heart of defence, especially with Danny Batth having left, as the Rams could do with another centre-back or two as well.

Mehmeti would be an incredible option for Derby, and Eustace would be remiss to not try his luck for the former Bristol City star this summer, with Ipswich's abundance of attacking talent crowding the Portman Road dressing room.