Derby County will pray Nottingham Forest and Brentford don't reignite Pride Park transfer raid | OneFootball

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has been excellent this season, but with previous Premier League interest, January could be a tough month for the Rams.

Derby County have already been active in the January transfer window, confirming two signings within the opening days of 2026, with more new faces expected at Pride Park in the coming weeks.

Dion Sanderson's loan move from Birmingham City to the Rams became a permanent one after a strong first-half of the campaign in black-and-white, while Oscar Fraulo made his way to the East Midlands from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach after first being linked with a move a year ago.

Nevertheless, with Derby 13th in the Championship after 26 games, and the play-off spots closer than the relegation battle, John Eustace will be looking up and not down this month and, therefore, he will be keen to keep hold of his key stars - including Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

The Swedish shot-stopper has been in fine form for his team this season, but with previous interest from Premier League sides and a potential place at the World Cup up for grabs, the Rams may well have clubs keeping a close eye on their number one throughout the window.

Derby County must be prepared for Premier League interest in Jacob Widell Zetterstrom

In the summer, Alan Nixon reported that Premier League side Brentford were showing a late interest in the 27-year-old, with a £3.5m fee touted. However, Zetterstrom stayed at Pride Park, where he has excelled under the tutelage of goalkeeper coach, Paul Clements.

While the Bees have not entered the fray yet this month, in November, Derby's local rivals, Nottingham Forest, started monitoring the Stockholm-born goalkeeper's situation, as per Sky Sports.

John Eustace did not play down the potential interest in Zetterstrom, and acknowledged that his best players will be targeted by other clubs. Nonetheless, Forest are yet to come in with an official bid and the Swedish star continues to keep order between the posts in DE24.

Yet, there is one other issue that will concern Derby over the next few weeks, as the footballing world prepares itself for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. While Sweden did not qualify automatically for this summer's tournament, they do have the chance of qualification through the play-offs, and with Stoke City's Viktor Johansson currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, Zetterstrom will see this as an opportunity to claim the number one shirt for his national team.

Ukraine await Sweden in the semi-final of their play-off on March 26, and this could be the chance for Derby's 'keeper to make his name on the world stage.

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom's stats speak for themselves in 2025/26

At times last season, Zetterstrom was questioned by supporters. His kicking ability often left a lot to be desired, while mistakes started to creep into his game.

However, since the arrival of Clements, he has become a much more confident goalkeeper, with his passing ability clearly improved from last season. This has offered the Rams a chance to start attacks from deep and has brought the wing-backs into the game with long cross-field balls.

His save percentage of 69% is 1.5% higher compared to the 2024/25 campaign, while he has nearly completed as many long passes this season (212) as he did in his first year at Derby (231).

Confidence has been key for Zetterstrom, and there are, of course, areas that still need improvement, but the Rams are able to rely on their Swedish World Cup hopeful on a more frequent basis and this has been reflected in the interest from clubs in the Premier League. But, it is vital that Derby keep hold of their number one, especially if they want to maintain their mid-table position in the Championship.