Derby County transfer twist uncovered in Crystal Palace pursuit | OneFootball

Derby County are ready to change their terms to Crystal Palace to get a deal for David Ozoh over the line

Derby County head coach John Eustace is busy getting the band back together at Pride Park this summer, whilst adding new faces to his squad, as a familiar face could yet be on their way back to the Rams.

Derby will have their sights firmly set on a place in the Championship top eight next season, having just narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs last time around.

Former Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers head coach Eustace has been busy at work adding to his squad for the next campaign, having brought in Charlie Taylor and Filip Bilibja on free transfers, whilst both Sammie Szmodics and Bobby Clark have returned to the club after successful loan spells.

Eustace stated his desire to bring back numerous loan stars previously, and having already done so with Szmodics and Clark, could be about to do so with another former fan favourite, as Derby look to switch up their terms on a deal to get this one over the line.

Derby County are prepared to make a loan-to-buy offer for Crystal Palace midfielder David Ozoh

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Having spent the previous two years on loan at Pride Park on loan from Crystal Palace, David Ozoh could be on his way back to the club this summer in some capacity.

Alan Nixon previously reported that the Rams were willing to pay up to £5 million for the 21-year-old midfielder; a large investment deal from Saudi government official Turki Alalshikh looks likely to be complete sooner rather than later, so they likely would be able to afford such a fee.

However, now Nixon has reported that Derby could be looking to change their terms on a deal with Palace, and could submit a loan-to-buy deal instead to get this one over the line.

The technically gifted and physically dominant midfielder has made 47 appearances for the Rams across all competitions in the last two years, having initially been brought to the club by Paul Warne, but struggled with injuries during his time at Pride Park.

Nevertheless, Eustace has been impressed with what he has seen from Ozoh, both on and off the pitch, and as the 46-year-old continues to get the band back together, Ozoh could be next in line, as a loan-to-buy option could be the route the Rams pursue to draw this saga to a conclusion.

Why Derby County may look to change the terms of David Ozoh, Crystal Palace deal

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Whilst a deal with Alalshikh looks close to being complete, which would provide ample funds for the Rams for the rest of the summer, an initial loan move for Ozoh may be the best route to go down.

Funds may not necessarily be an issue anymore, though having struggled with injuries across his past couple of seasons with the club, and still just being 21, £5 million is not an insignificant amount of money for any Championship club, and spending that on a player you know to be injury-prone could be a huge risk.

A third loan spell, with an option-to-buy, or an obligation depending on appearances, could be the most sensible route for Derby to go down this summer.

Clearly an abundance of talent, Ozoh has the potential to be a mainstay in Derby's midfield for years to come, as the Rams look to get this one over the line by any means necessary.

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Learning the news of their links to Ozoh on a permanent basis, Derby fans rushed to social media to share their thoughts on the deal, providing contrasting reactions.

Indeed, this Derby fan has not let his performances on the pitch swade him away from Ozoh's sub-par injury record, and has urged the club to be cautious over this potential deal.

This Derby fan would instead like to see the return of Rams academy graduate and Ozoh's current Crystal Palace teammate Will Hughes, who would almost certainly also improve Eustace's midfield option.

Short and sweet from this Derby fan, who clearly wants this deal to get over the line by any means necessary.

With the aforementioned investment deal close to getting over the line, a deal for Ozoh would be the cherry on the cake for this Rams supporter.