Exclusive: Derby County urged to "resist any temptations" as Championship interest mooted for Rams star | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Don Goodman has been discussing Ebou Adams' situation at Derby County.

Derby County have built on last season’s Championship survival in the summer window.

John Eustace and Co. have brought Patrick Agyemang, Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O'Donnell, Carlton Morris and Owen Beck to Pride Park so far this summer, as they look to push up the table next term.

Exciting times seem to be on the horizon for Rams supporters, but there could yet be some disappointing transfer news.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke revealed that Ebou Adams has emerged on the radar of several Championship clubs including at least one of the newly relegated Premier League sides, thanks to his impressive performances last term.

BBC Radio Derby's senior sports journalist, Dominic Dietrich, reported via X that there's "nothing in it" from Derby's perspective, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of the more competitive second-tier outfits swoop for the 29-year-old.

Don Goodman demands Derby County keep hold of Ebou Adams

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former EFL striker, Don Goodman, believes that Derby County must resist cashing in on Adams if they are to progress as a club.

“I'm not surprised that Ebou Adams is under consideration for a number of Championship clubs,” stated Goodman.

“He had a real standout season, his best season, last year at Derby County in the Championship.

“He became a real key player for John Eustace and winning the ball was his real forte. I think his numbers in that department were right up there at the top of the Championship lists.

“So, I'm not surprised, but in terms of Derby, if they really want to progress, it's about keeping your better players at the club now.

“Eustace will be desperate that the football club resist any temptations to sell and keep Ebou Adams at Derby County.”

Ebou Adams would be incredibly hard to replace at Derby County

Reported interest in Adams from multiple Championship outfits isn’t something that has happened by chance – the midfielder was one of the division’s leading players last term.

He was top of the league’s list for tackles (99) and duels won (352), highlighting the level he was performing at, which makes it an even harder task for the Rams to retain his services.

These statistics show just how crucial the midfielder was to Eustace’s midfield, and it would be almost impossible to replace him without spending a substantial amount of money.

This isn’t something that Derby will want to do, especially when they wouldn’t be able to guarantee their replacement would match Adams’ quality.

Therefore, the Rams mustn’t offload the 29-year-old unless a mammoth bid is submitted, which would allow them to upgrade multiple other areas of the squad.