Goncalo Franco must join familiar faces on Derby County’s dream summer transfer list | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at three players Derby County must sign this summer

Derby County narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs and will hope to change that next season.

The Rams finished eighth in the second tier this term, and would be a beneficiary of the newly expanded play-offs if they match that league position next campaign.

To finish eighth or higher come next spring, though, John Eustace will have to conduct successful business in the summer transfer window.

With that in mind, Football League World have identified three players that simply have to be on Derby's wishlist ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Ben Brereton Diaz

Ben Brereton Diaz spent the 2025/26 season on loan with Derby, and a somewhat simple yet effective piece of business for the Rams to complete this summer would be to land his permanent signature.

The 27-year-old, who joined on loan from Southampton last summer, notched eight goals and three assists across all competitions for Eustace's men, helping their play-off push.

He was particularly effective in their clash with Championship title winners Coventry City on Good Friday, scoring a brace, but his efforts were in vain as Derby lost 3-2 to the Sky Blues.

Brereton Diaz has endured a lack of stability since joining Southampton in 2024, spending time on loan with both Sheffield United and the Rams in the last two seasons.

The attacking midfielder's most prolific season came for Blackburn Rovers in 2021/22, when he notched 22 goals and three assists in 37 Championship appearances.

He went on to score 14 goals and register four assists for the Lancashire outfit in the 2022/23 campaign, which marked his last before joining Spanish club Villarreal.

A permanent move to Derby could help Brereton Diaz reignite his old form, which would, consequently, bolster the Rams' play-off chances.

Goncalo Franco

Eustace's side are often at their best on the counterattack, with the likes of Brereton-Diaz causing problems for opposing Championship defenders.

However, Derby's play-off push was damaged by the fact that only Oxford United and Charlton Athletic had a lower average possession than the Rams in the 2025/26 second-tier season.

The U's were relegated to League One alongside Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City, whereas the Addicks avoided the drop to the third tier.

The Rams may need greater control of games to ensure that they finish in the play-offs next term, which requires the presence of a new midfield metronome.

Swansea City's Goncalo Franco could prove to be the right answer, having thrived for the South Wales club this term.

According to FotMob, Franco played 1,163 successful passes during the 2025/26 Championship campaign, while he also demonstrated his creative edge by making 37 chances and five big chances.

Furthermore, there is an admirably tenacious side to the 25-year-old's game, as he made 225 defensive contributions, including 119 tackles and 37 interceptions.

Sammie Szmodics

Like Brereton-Diaz, Sammie Szmodics has been on loan with Derby this season, and the Rams must be interested in acquiring his services permanently.

He is likely surplus to requirements at his parent club, Ipswich Town, following the Tractor Boys' promotion to the Premier League, having previously struggled to perform in the top flight.

Szmodics showed some of his final-third credentials by scoring three goals and providing one assist in 13 Championship appearances for Eustace's men.

The attacking midfielder won the second-tier golden boot when he scored 27 goals for his former club, Blackburn, in the 2023/24 season.

He is yet to hit those heights again, but agreeing permanent terms with Derby, who can offer him more game time than Ipswich, would go a long way to helping him unleash his full potential once more.