New claim made on Derby County player's exit - "I don't know whether Eustace really fancies him" | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit gives verdict on letting Kenzo Goudmijn go out on loan and whether he could have been a solid option for John Eustace

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County loanee Kenzo Goudmijn could be a big miss for the Rams this season after being shipped out on loan to Go Ahead Eagles in The Netherlands.

For Derby, it's very much been an up and down start to the season after narrowly surviving the drop last campaign. However, the Rams look to be gaining some momentum with a dozen games played.

There was plenty of movement in the summer transfer window for the Midlands club, with the likes of Carlton Morris and Bobby Clark arriving at Pride Park, as well as some notable outgoings, none more surprising than the Dutch midfielder Kenzo Goudmijn.

After signing for Derby from AZ Alkmaar, he was a regular starter for both Paul Warne and John Eustace last season, as the 23-year-old made 41 appearances and contributed with two goals and two assists.

With Eustace making strides when it comes to recruitment, Goudmijn naturally fell out of favour due to the manager opting for more physical presence in the engine room, as seen by the likes of David Ozoh, Lewis Travis, and Edou Adams rotating in the midfield two.

With that said, Goudmijn's creativity was a real asset to the Rams which they may regret not having at their disposal for the season ahead. For many Derby fans, his services for the 2025/26 campaign would have been more than welcomed if given the chance to thrive in his natural number 10 position. However, Eustace had other plans.

Derby County may regret shipping Kenzo Goudmijn off to the Netherlands

Having featured in all four of Derby's opening fixtures this season, including a full 90 minutes in the EFL Cup against West Brom, it looked as though Goudmijn would play a key role for the Rams this season. But upon the signings of Clark and Ben Brereton Diaz, who can play in the number 10 position, that way of thinking was short-lived.

Football League World's Derby County fan pundit, Shaun, says he can see both sides of the coin as, on the one hand, Goudmijn could have been a real threat to Championship opposition, but also, with plenty of incomings, it would be difficult to see where the Dutchman would fit into Eustace's system.

Shaun said: "I can see why we did let him go out on loan last season under Paul Warne, and when Eustace came in he didn't really suit our style of football.

"We barely had much possession of the football. We were backs against the wall, and we were in a real relegation fight and that isn't the style of football that would suit someone like Kenzo.

"He needs to be in a team that's predominantly possession-based football, on the front foot where he can find those little pockets and play in the strikers and the wide men. We didn't play to his strengths at all last season, so it was like playing with 10 men at times, so I can see why he wasn't going to feature under Eustace."

Kenzo Goudmijn could have suited Derby County's style of play this season

After cementing their position in the Championship on their return to the second year, as Shaun mentioned, the 2024/25 season for Derby was very much a slog in terms of churning out, resulting in an unstylish fashion. With that said, Goudmijn's talents weren't exploited to their full potential, but with shrewd signings and a desire to progress further up the table this season, the Rams could have done with the creative mind of Goudmijn to unlock defences and be a real difference maker in tight games.

However, with Goudmijn now back in his native homeland with Go Ahead Eagles, there have been mixed opinions from the Derby fan of whether he will be dearly missed for the season ahead. Shaun believes that he could have done a decent job, but the newly introduced Clark has filled the void he left.

Shaun said: "Now looking at it, when you've got the likes of Travis, Adams, and Ozoh, they're all really solid centre midfielders, but I'd say all three of them aren't the best with the ball at their feet, and we have struggled at times to unlock teams, and to play in our frontmen.

"So, I do believe this season he might have actually suited our style of play and the way we're trying to play, as Bobby Clark showed on Saturday when he played in that midfield, because he is a more forward-thinking midfielder who wants to play the ball, and wants to be on the front foot. He looked really good in there, and he might potentially be off to Celtic, so could it be Kenzo comes in for him? I'm not sure.

"I don't know whether Eustace really fancies him if I'm totally honest, because he barely played him last season when he came in. It's a tough one because I can see why we did let him go, but actually, when you look at things right now, he probably would suit our style of football and the style we're trying to play, so I would be happy to see him come back."