Derby County: Which player is David Clowes estimated to be paying the most weekly? | OneFootball

Ben Osborn joined the Rams in the summer, but is estimated to be the club's top earner.

Derby County have been extremely shrewd with their signings in recent years.

Since David Clowes completed his takeover of the club in the summer of 2022, the Rams have spent very little, but have still managed to hit their targets.

Under the guidance of Paul Warne, the club were promoted back to the Championship on the final day of last season, and they have returned to the second tier in a competitive fashion.

An array of loans, paid deals and frees saw Derby enjoy a good transfer window, bringing in the likes of Ben Osborn, Ebou Adams, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, and Nat Phillips.

The Rams spent fees on just three of their new players in the summer, spending a total of £2.5 million on Adams, Zetterstrom and Kenzo Goudmijn. However, Football League World has taken a look at which member of the squad Clowes is estimated to be paying the most weekly, using Capology.

Osborn is Derby's top earner

Osborn returned to Derby in June, after leaving the club at the age of eight. Osborn supported the Rams in his youth, and following a career playing at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, he came back to the black-and-white side of the East Midlands after his contract with the Blades expired.

The 30-year-old's experience in the Championship could prove to be pivotal in the coming months for Warne, and supporters will be hoping so if his estimated weekly wage is to be believed.

According to Capology, Osborn earns £17,500-a-week at Pride Park, £5,000 more than Kayden Jackson.

It must be stressed that this is only an estimation, but with over 270 appearances in the second tier, and 61 in the Premier League, it should come as no surprise that he is one of the top earners.

Nat Phillips is technically the Derby player with the highest wage on Capology's website, but it is unknown how much of his approximated £65,000-a-week wage is being paid by Clowes.

Osborn's wage has decreased since leaving Sheffield United

Although it is possibly expected, Osborn is earning less at the Rams than he did during his final contract at Sheffield United, as per Capology.

It was estimated that the versatile midfielder was being paid £20,000 every week at Bramall Lane, meaning that his yearly salary has decreased by £130k.

At 30-years-old, it seems unlikely that he will be offered a bigger contract by Derby in the next few seasons, but his wealth of experience can be seen as the reason why he is the top earner at the club.

Osborn's start at Derby has been inconsistent

After seemingly being brought in as a priority, he perhaps would have hoped to make a bigger impact than he has done so far.

Osborn was the Rams' best player against Blackburn Rovers in their opening game of the season, but an injury against Middlesbrough scuppered his momentum, and his return to the first-team picture since the international break has not been the best.

Nevertheless, his tenacity and desire to work for the team means that those performances that perhaps do not reach his own expectations will get better, and he can become the player that he knows he can be in black-and-white.

David Ozoh's injury against Cardiff City suggests that Osborn's involvement will continue to be heightened, something that allows him to re-adjust and get back into the rhythm of playing.