What's happening with Zetterstrom at Derby County amid Nottingham Forest and Brentford links? | OneFootball

The Rams placed a £15m price-tag on the Swedish shot-stopper this past January transfer window

FLW takes a look at what’s happening with Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström amid previous links to Nottingham Forest and Brentford.

The Swedish shot-stopper has been absent from the Rams’ first-team since the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on the 23rd January, and is expected to be unavailable for a little while longer as he recovers from a virus.

His earlier withdrawal from the squad had inevitably prompted speculation over his future at the club, particularly with back-up Josh Vickers penning a new contract at Pride Park until 2029.

Nottingham Forest and Brentford interest in Derby County's Jacob Widell Zetterström explained

Said interest in Zetterström is not new, and has been building ever since he established himself as Derby’s number one following his move to the East Midlands from Djurgårdens. So far this season, the 6ft 6in keeper has six clean sheets in 28 league games, and just needs three more to equal his 24/25 tally of nine.

This past summer, journalist Alan Nixon reported that Brentford were showing a late interest in the Swede, with a £3.5m figure raised.

That figure always looked unlikely to tempt Derby into a sale given his importance and contract length, but it showed how his performances in the Championship have caught the eye at the top level.​

Nottingham Forest were then credited with monitoring Zetterström’s situation, with Sky Sports outlining how the Rams’ East Midlands rivals, along with other top-flight clubs, had him firmly on their radar heading into the recently closed January window.

In response, Derby placed a huge £15m price tag on the 27-year-old in a bid to fend off any mid-season approaches - according to The Daily Mail.

For now, that valuation - and the apparent insistence that no sale would be considered until at least the summer - cooled any chance of an immediate move. But you could perhaps expect some concrete bids to be made once this season has ended.

What John Eustace has said about Jacob Widell Zetterström's contract situation at Derby County

From Derby’s perspective, their recent actions don’t exactly point towards Zetterström remaining the long-term first choice at Pride Park.

Yes, he is under contract with the Rams until 2027, which gives the club a strong hand in any future negotiations, but talk of the Swedish international signing a new deal has already been somewhat downplayed.

Back in December, Derby’s head coach, John Eustace, made clear that talks over a potential new deal would be handled between the player’s representatives and the club. Telling BBC Radio Derby, "It’s down to the agent and club to talk about that."

Derby's CEO, Stephen Pearce, has also told BBC Radio Derby - on the 4th February - that "we have to be a trading club at some pont," - and while Zetterström was not name-dropped specifically, you can imagine he's one the club could look to make a fairly big sum on.

Clearly, given Vickers’ aforementioned new deal, the Rams do have some extra security in net for the long-term, but it would be no surprise to see offers flood in for Zetterström if he maintains the levels he has shown so far once he comes back from illness.

Given the apparent £15m price tag as well, it may be that somewhat of a bidding war takes place in the summer, and it may well be between Forest and the Bees.