How Derby County could save £9k p/w on wages in January 2026 | OneFootball

FLW has taken a look at how Derby County could save some serious money on wages in 2026

Derby County could save a decent chunk of money by moving these two players on in the January transfer window.

John Eustace will be looking to utilise the January transfer window in the best possible way to boost the Rams’ chances of sneaking into the play-offs come May.

The Pride Park outfit conducted an extensive amount of transfer business during the summer, with players such as Lewis Travis, Patrick Agyemang and Carlton Morris all strengthening Derby’s squad.

With promotion out of the Championship set to be as tightly contested as ever, raising funds to spend in the January window through whatever means possible can be crucial.

The best way of doing this is by offloading players and using the wages saved via that method to recruit new players. As a result, Football League World have taken a look at how much capital Derby County would save in wages if they sold these two players.

Curtis Nelson

Football League World previously exclusively revealed that Derby would be open to selling Curtis Nelson on either a permanent or temporary basis in the upcoming January transfer window.

The 32-year-old has slipped down the Rams’ pecking order, mainly due to the knee ligament injury he suffered in January 2025, which ruled him out of action for the majority of the year.

With Derby already willing to let the defender leave, he would be an obvious choice to cash in on in the winter window. According to Capology, Nelson currently commands a weekly wage of £5,000, which equates to an annual salary of £260,000.

Although not a huge amount, this would contribute nicely towards the Rams bringing in some fresh blood.

Corey Blackett-Taylor

Another player who has struggled for minutes at Derby is Corey Blackett-Taylor, who moved to Pride Park in 2024.

Although the 28-year-old has impressed in bursts, he’s been largely unremarkable for the Rams and would be an obvious choice for Eustace to move on.

He made just 12 league appearances last term and hasn’t had much more of a starring role this time around either. A hamstring injury has prevented the former Charlton Athletic man for an extended period too, which may be another concern for the Rams.

According to Capology, Blackett-Taylor earns £4,000 a week, which equates to an annual salary of £208,000.

Whilst a slightly smaller total than Nelson's, getting the midfielder’s wages off the books would open up more funds for Eustace to use on players who he can see playing a leading role in his team.