Derby County set to sign player likened to Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong | OneFootball

The Rams are hopeful of signing Derry Murkin before the winter transfer window slams shut

Derby County are expected to complete the signing of 26-year-old FC Utrecht left-back Derry Murkin before deadline day ends.

The English-born defender joined the Eredivisie club in May last year for a reported sum of €1.5m after two seasons with Schalke in Germany, where he played a total of 57 times.

With this development in mind, it seemingly puts an end to the Rams' apparent interest in USA international left-back George Bello. Either way, it looks like Callum Elder will finally get some competition on the left-side of defence.

Derby County closing in on FC Utrecht's Derry Murkin

The Telegraph’s deadline day live blog has mentioned how Derby are working to bring Murkin in before the transfer window closes.

This is perhaps a welcome update for Derby fans as it's been clear the Rams have needed depth at left-back ever since Owen Beck was recalled by Liverpool, having never made a first-team appearance at Pride Park through injury.

In the aforementioned Telegraph update, it claims that Eustace has made it a priority to bring a left-back in, and any deal for Murkin is expected to be completed on time.

Although it's not clear at this stage whether any potential deal for Murkin would be a loan or permanent, it probably has implications for the East Midlands outfit's interest in another left-back, George Bello.

It was previously reported by Football Insider that Derby had registered their interest in the former Atlanta United man in a deal that was likely to cost around £1.5m.

With Murkin now emerging as the primary left-back target in the final hours of the window, any serious move for the USA international appears increasingly unlikely.

Derby County to strengthen their left-back department with Derry Murkin

So far this season, Murkin has appeared in just nine of Utrecht’s 20 league games, four of those being starts. Yet in the Europa League he's played 12 times - so it's not like the defender is completely out of favour.

As for the defender's style of play, it seems quite interesting. As mentioned in a Bundesliga report, Murkin was converted from a wide forward into a full-back at fellow Dutch side Volendam early on in his career - and was even compared to Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong (who was playing for Bayer Leverkusen at the time).

So, on paper, Murkin definitely has the attributes needed to thrive under Eustace, and it'll also be good competition-wise for Callum Elder.

As good as Elder's been this season for Derby - getting four assists and a goal - you could argue that the Australian was never supposed to be given this much game time when the aforementioned Beck originally signed on loan.

Ultimately, Murkin’s prospective arrival would hopefully provide a level of competition at left-back for Elder that Craig Forsyth has failed to properly do. In a potential play-off push, having both Murkin and Elder battling it out for a starting berth would be a nice headache for Eustace to have.