John Eustace must be sweating at Derby County over post-World Cup transfer claim | OneFootball

John Eustace will be worried about the future of Derby's first-choice shot-stopper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom

Derby County are looking to build upon a strong Championship campaign last time around with another push towards the top six next year, as head coach John Eustace hopes to keep the core group of his squad around amid rumoured interest elsewhere.

Indeed, a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United on the final day of the season, as well as Hull City's victory over Norwich City, means that Championship football is heading to Pride Park once again next campaign.

Whilst the year wouldn't end as Rams fans would have hoped, many will be pleased with the way their side had performed, especially given they had only just narrowly survived relegation the previous year.

Former Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City boss Eustace stamped his authority on the Derby side last summer with the additions of the likes of Patrick Agyemang, Lewis Travis, and Rhian Brewster, and will be aiming to do similar once again this time around.

£6 million deal for former RB Salzburg midfielder Bobby Clark has already been completed following an excellent loan spell last year, but with Derby potentially needing to balance the books after a large sum of spending, fears of an exit of one of their stars have emerged, especially after recent comments.

Derby County exit fears have emerged concerning Jacob Widell Zetterstrom as the goalkeeper remains tight-lipped on his future

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Eustace has made his desire clear to keep the core of his squad from last season together, including loan players, previously telling Derbyshire Live: "Obviously I've spoken to all the players. They love playing for Derby, they love being here. From that point of view, I think they'd all love to stay but everything else is out of my hands."

Derby have already made moves to make that wish come true following the permanent addition of Clark, and it would be no surprise to see the likes of David Ozoh, Sammie Szmodics, and Ben Brereton Diaz pursued at some stage as well.

Though whilst Eustace will want to bring back some of his loan stars, he likely has every intention of keeping his star assets at the club, too.

Agyemang has previously attracted interest from elsewhere, but after a serious knee injury in the latter stages of the campaign, rumours surrounding an exit for the American have since died down.

However, arguably an even more significant exit would be that of Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, who has sparked fears of a departure from Pride Park this summer after recent comments.

Zetterstrom, 27, joined Derby in the summer of 2024 from Djurgarden for around £1.4 million, and has maintained his spot between the sticks for the Rams ever since, with 75 appearances in all competitions for the club, with only illness ruling him out of action during last campaign.

Now, with the Swede representing his nation at the recent World Cup in North America, Zetterstrom stepped in between the sticks in place of Kristoffer Nordfeldt for the games against Japan and France, as Graham Potter's side crashed out 3-0 to Les Bleus.

Despite the defeat, Zetterstrom made nine saves and inevitably has drawn interest from the likes of Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Eintracht Frankfurt, as per Fabrizio Romano.

When asked about the rumours by Fotboll Transfers, Zetterstrom said: "I don’t usually pay too much attention to rumours.

"I’ve been in this bubble for a while now, fully focused on the national team, and now I feel like I need to take a few days to relax."

Whilst the Swede not pledging his future to Derby doesn't mean a move is on its way, it certainly raises legitimate questions surrounding his long-term future at the club, and should a big bid indeed arrive their way, it may prove too difficult to turn down.

Zetterstrom has proven to be one of the very best shot-stoppers the Championship has to offer, as according to FotMob, only Christian Walton (5.6) of Ipswich Town and Carl Rushworth (6.7) of Coventry City prevented more goals than the Swede (5.5) in the division last season.

Derby would surely be worse off without him in goal, but should the money be too good to turn down, an exit cannot be ruled out, especially with the Swede not exactly committing his future to the club with recent comments.

John Eustace must clarify the future of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom at Derby County sooner rather than later amid exit murmurs

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With the transfer window well underway, rumours surrounding Derby's star players are bound to swirl, and it is no surprise that is the case with Zetterstrom, especially after his performances at the World Cup.

Whilst it would have been a surprise to hear the Swede pledge his future to Derby there and then in the interview, Rams supporters will be worried that an exit may well be on the horizon.

In the event of a departure, replacing him won't be easy, and Derby will hope for a significant fee to even consider a sale.

For now, Zetterstrom remains a Ram, and will join back up with the squad soon as pre-season begins, where Derby supporters will hope he is in between the sticks on the opening day of the campaign.