Harvey Knibbs in: Derby County can have a dream week in the January transfer window with these 2 deals | OneFootball

The Rams have been linked with a move for the Reading star, while Barkhuizen's minutes have been limited.

Derby County's first week of the January transfer window was a relatively quiet one, but supporters will be buoyed by the club being linked to some incredibly talented players.

The likes of Ali Al-Hamadi and Louie Barry are already on the Rams' radar, and they will need stars of this quality to help them throughout the second half of the season as they look to push away from the relegation battle.

Paul Warne's side remain teetering above the drop zone, but they do have a gap to their rivals in the bottom three, and with David Ozoh, Eiran Cashin and Ryan Nyambe all set to be returning from injury soon, there will be hope that better times are ahead.

Nevertheless, there will be a desire to see new arrivals this month, and Football League World has identified two deals that could culminate in Derby having the perfect week, with one incoming and one outgoing.

In - Harvey Knibbs

Reading's Harvey Knibbs has been linked with a move to Pride Park this January, with the Royals' financial issues leaving them vulnerable to some of their best players being bought by clubs in higher divisions, a situation that will feel all too familiar to the Rams.

The 25-year-old has been in sparkling form for the League One side, and could prove to be an invaluable addition to Warne's squad.

The attacking midfielder grew up in Derbyshire, and returning to the county could be the perfect tonic for the Rams, who are in desperate need of more goalscorers in their starting XI.

Derby do lack depth in this position, with Tawanda Chirewa their only option for a more attacking role. Kenzo Goudmijn has been utilised throughout the middle of the park this season, and the addition of Knibbs could allow him to have a more settled position in the team.

Reading will be extremely disappointed to see one of their brightest stars targeted by the Rams, but it is a move that Warne will want to see go through, and he could prove to be an extremely popular figure in DE24.

Out - Tom Barkhuizen

Tom Barkhuizen is one of several Derby promotion heroes that have struggled for minutes this season, and it would not be a surprise to see him move on in the next few weeks as Warne makes room for signings.

The 31-year-old has become more involved in the last month, but he is still used mostly off the bench, and when he does make it onto the pitch, it is usually in a cameo role.

Barkhuizen is out of contract at the end of the season, and he will already be weighing up his options ahead of that time, and a January exit could be on the cards for the former Preston North End ace.

His output in the Championship this campaign has not been good enough, and he has struggled to make an impact when given the opportunity - particularly in the opening weeks.

The Rams do not have loads of cover on the wing, but if Barry does come in, then he does give Warne another option in that position, as he can play in both central and wide roles.

The best situation for all parties would be for Barkhuizen to find a permanent move this week, and free up another space in the squad at Derby, as they look to start making their first signings of 2025.