Derby County player urged to find new club - 'he's clearly out of his depth' | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County Fan Pundit has weighed in on which player is the most likely to leave the Rams next.

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 have had a relatively quiet January transfer window, despite starting off the winter with the permanent additions of Dion Sanderson and Oscar Fraulo.

The former had spent the first-half of the campaign on loan in the East Midlands, but John Eustace has ensured that the centre-back will stay at Pride Park past the summer, while Danish midfielder Fraulo has impressed in his first weeks at the club.

Corey Blackett-Taylor became the latest player to bid farewell to the Rams, as he joined Bolton Wanderers on loan for the rest of the 2025/26 campaign, becoming the fourth player to leave the Championship side. Curtis Nelson and Ebou Adams have left on permanent deals to MK Dons and Portsmouth respectively, while Ryan Nyambe joined Reading on loan.

Nevertheless, with deadline day closing in, Eustace still has decisions to make with his squad, and one player may still be in the final days of his Derby career.

Derby County urged to let Kayden Jackson go before January transfer window closes

With Monday's deadline closing in, there are just a few days to go for the Rams to secure their squad for the rest of the campaign, and another exit could be possible.

When asked who is the most likely player to leave the club next, Football League World's Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, said: "It's got to be Kayden Jackson. He's fallen down the pecking order over the last 12 months. He's not scored a goal or had a goal contribution, I don't think, in about 40 games, and he's clearly out of his depth.

"I think at this stage of his career, he needs to be playing games. There's no point in him sitting on the bench and getting five minutes here and there. He's only going to be on the bench if we haven't got a lot of players available."

Shaun continued: "So, I think now he'll probably find himself not even in the matchday squad. So, for me, he has to go and get himself some regular football. If that means dropping down a league or two, then so be it.

"But he really does need to go and kind of find his feet somewhere else. I thank him for what he did for the club, he had some good moments for us, but ultimately, he's out of his depth now, and he needs to go and find a level that suits him. That way he can actually go and enjoy the last few years of his career."

Kayden Jackson has not performed consistently at Derby County

Jackson joined the Rams at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, leaving Ipswich Town at the end of his contract before linking up with Paul Warne as the East Midlands outfit prepared for their first season back in the Championship.

Three goals in his first three home games proved to be a false dawn, and just one more strike would follow, as he headed home the opener in a 2-1 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in December 2024.

Since then, he has failed to score or contribute with an assist at all, despite playing every single league game for Derby during his first season at the club.

He has started only three times in the Championship for the Rams in 2025/26, despite featuring 19 times, and it is clear to see that Eustace does not see a long-term future for Jackson. Wycombe Wanderers and MK Dons have previously been linked with a move for the winger, and it would not be a surprise to see more clubs join the battle.