Derby County urged to chase Brighton transfer in January - it's in a position they're "desperately short" | OneFootball

FLW's Rams fan pundit has outlined Tom Watson as someone they could target in the winter transfer window

Despite the season still being in its relative infancy, fans are starting to speculate who their team may look to bring in during the January transfer window.

For Derby County, it's not been the most ideal start to the campaign, with just one win in the opening nine games leaving them closer to the bottom three than the top six, which is where many expected John Eustace's side to be making an outside run at.

Barring a three-goal foray against Coventry City (which ended in a 5-3 defeat), the Rams haven't been at their creative best, and given the quality in their frontline, there's been a frustration among those in the stands at Pride Park that there hasn't been a similar amount of quality out wide to help set the likes of Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang up with goalmouth opportunities.

Therefore, a winger is someone that FLW's Derby fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, wants his side to target this winter window, namely Tom Watson, who was the hero at Wembley in the Championship play-off final in May when he scored a 95th-minute winner to send Sunderland into the Premier League.

Derby County fan pundit hopes Tom Watson will be on their January wishlist

19-year-old Watson was already on his way to Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer when he netted the decisive goal to send Sunderland back to the Premier League at Wembley in May, with the Seagulls agreeing a £10 million fee in April.

This season, however, the wideman hasn't had many first-team opportunities. He's yet to make his debut in the Premier League, with his Brighton appearances coming solely in the EFL Cup, where he's scored one and assisted three across the side's two 6-0 away wins at Oxford United and Barnsley.

If league appearances continue to be scarce, Woodward believes that Derby should swoop in for a mid-season loan move.

"Tom Watson's got a lot to learn, but I think at a club like Derby, he'd excel with a lot of game time," he said. "We are desperately short of wingers at the club.

"He played a bit-part role at Sunderland last season, and again this season, but he's clearly very highly rated to the point where Brighton spent £10 million on him in the summer.

"He's quick, direct, tall, and he's offered a lot in the few games he's played, scoring important goals, getting some good assists and looking really lively. He's an exciting prospect and someone who could come in and hit the ground running because we're so short of wingers at the club.

"He's already scored one important goal at Wembley, and he might be able to make it two with a late surge into the play-offs at Derby, let's hope."

Tom Watson could use a January loan move, and he could thrive at Derby County

Watson started only 11 Championship games last season. He was in and out of the side throughout, and a knee and ankle injury limited his total appearances to just 20 league games.

He wasn't used in either of Sunderland's play-off semi-final games against Coventry and came on with just 17 minutes left of the play-off final. Ultimately, those 17 minutes proved golden for the Black Cats, but it highlights that the England U-21 international hasn't been exposed to too much regular starting action in his short career so far.

Therefore, a short-term loan at this stage of Watson's career, if he continues to be a squad member at Brighton until January, would be very useful, and of all the teams in the Championship, Derby seems like a perfect fit.

There, he'll be guaranteed starts and will be the main option out wide to create opportunities and run at defenders, which will be a good test to see if the 19-year-old can cope with being a main option.

Hopefully, by January, too, Derby will be in a healthier position in the Championship table, meaning he could be the catalyst for a late run into the top six come the beginning of May. Then, as Woodward said, perhaps he could be the hero in back-to-back play-off finals.