Middlesbrough & Preston rival Derby County for Man City transfer | OneFootball

Middlesbrough and Preston have joined Derby County in the race to sign Man City striker Divin Mubama.

Derby County have had a productive start to the transfer window as they look to build on a positive 2025/26 season under John Eustace.

The ex-Birmingham boss has done a fine job at Pride Park since his appointment, and whilst there was some disappointment that the Rams failed to make the play-offs in the previous campaign, there’s no doubt they are heading in the right direction.

Now, the challenge is to make a few tweaks to improve the squad, and Derby have already done some good business in securing a permanent transfer for Bobby Clark after his impressive loan spell.

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Middlesbrough and Preston join transfer battle for Man City’s Divin Mubama

Derby will be looking to strengthen a few positions ahead of the deadline, and it’s no surprise that they appear to be in the market for a new number nine, with the influential Patrick Agyemang set to miss a chunk of the season through injury.

It had been claimed that Derby are interested in a deal for Man City’s Divin Mubama, who spent last season on loan at Stoke City, where he scored five times in 26 games, as an injury cut his season short.

However, they won’t have a free run for the 21-year-old, as the Daily Mail has revealed that Middlesbrough and Preston are also tracking Mubama.

They explain that the youngster has already held talks with Derby, but Boro and North End are now looking to muscle in on any deal, although Mubama and Man City are yet to make a decision on where he will be playing his football next season.

Middlesbrough’s failure to win promotion was largely down to their poor finishing, as Kim Hellberg’s men created plenty of opportunities in the season, but they were wasteful in front of goal.

That was also a problem for Preston, as Lewis Dobbin, who was on loan, was the only player to hit double figures, so it’s something they will look to rectify in the market this summer.

Divin Mubama could be a smart signing for any Championship club

Some will look at Mubama’s record at Stoke and may be underwhelmed by the prospect of him joining their club, and there’s no denying that it’s not the best.

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But, it doesn’t tell the whole story, as he was a young player who was playing competitive football on a regular basis for the first time in his career, so it’s natural that he needed time to adapt.

Then, he suffered a serious injury which halted his progress, so it was a frustrating end to the season for Mubama, who will be desperate to get going this season to show what he can do.

In terms of his qualities, there is a reason why Man City signed the England youth international from West Ham, as they see him as someone who has huge potential.

He has real physicality that should serve him well in the Championship, and his ability to hold the ball up, and to run in behind, means he can be the ideal focal point.

So, you can understand why there is growing interest in Mubama from clubs at this level, and whoever does win the race for his signature will be making a smart, low-risk addition.