Derby County: Paul Warne urged to make a Sheffield Wednesday transfer U-turn in January | OneFootball

The Rams have shown an interest in the striker ever since Paul Warne came to the club.

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 have returned to the Championship strongly and while performances have not always been exactly what supporters would have expected and wanted, they have picked up results.

The Rams head into another clash against mid-table opposition on Wednesday evening, as they welcome Swansea City to Pride Park Stadium. However, they will go into the match without their top scorer, Jerry Yates.

The 28-year-old is on loan from the Swans and therefore is unavailable to play against his parent club in the Championship - a frustration that manager Paul Warne would have been fully aware of when he was brought to the club in the summer.

Derby's striking issues have been a problem throughout the opening four months of the campaign, but the January transfer window could offer some reprieve for the East Midlands club, and registering interest in a former target could be the way Warne goes about his business.

Verdict made on Michael Smith

The Rams need to bring in reinforcements this winter as they do not have the strength in depth that some of their rivals do have, particularly going forward.

Their current striking options are not fantastic, with Conor Washington, Dajaune Brown, and James Collins playing back-up to Yates, who now has four goals to his name in black-and-white.

Michael Smith is a player that has been a reported target of Warne's over the course of the last couple of seasons, with the 51-year-old attempting to bring him in on loan last January to help his team with their push for promotion.

Warne revealed earlier this month that after missing out in the past, Smith is not a player he is currently targeting.

Football League World's Derby fan pundit, Shaun Woodward was asked if he believes that the club should make another move for the Sheffield Wednesday striker in January.

He told FLW: "I think there are a couple of factors to take into consideration. It's whether Sheffield Wednesday would let him go because he's now starting to play games for them, he's regularly starting for them, and would they want one of their strikers to go to a potential rival?

"So, a lot will depend on Sheffield Wednesday’s stance, really, and whether Michael Smith wants to actually come to Derby. I know he's got a good relationship with Paul Warne, so that would be a positive and, hopefully, Warne could bring the best out of him, because I do really think we need a player like him, even on a short-term contract.

"He would take some of the workload off Yates, who's doing the job of two or three men on his own at times, and he is single-handedly trying to kind of keep us in the mix. So, Yates could really do with a partner that's big, physical, and can occupy centre-halves."

Shaun continued: "I do think it's a realistic target. I think it's someone that Derby should really work to get, even if it’s on a one or two-year contract. The only worry for me is he doesn't really score many goals. I think he's only hit double figures in the Championship once in his career.

"However, saying that he's a big, strong lad who will occupy centre-halves and create space for other players, so maybe we don't need to look at his goalscoring attributes too much if he can help others come into the game.

"We've got players, especially in the wide areas, that aren't contributing enough goals. So, hopefully, he could bring them into the game. But I think it's someone we could look at getting, and I do think it's a realistic target. But Paul Warne really does need to look at options if we can't get him, we need someone very similar to him."

Derby County must move on from Michael Smith

While he does possess the qualities that Warne likes in a player, it must be said that the 33-year-old is past his best now and is not the answer to Derby's long-term problems.

The striker has become more and more involved under Danny Rohl this season, and it seems incredibly unlikely that he would sanction a move, particularly as Sheffield Wednesday are in direct competition with the Rams for survival in the Championship.

Smith was a good option while Warne's side were in League One, and he could have helped provide the goals needed to chase down Portsmouth in 2023/24. But his record in the second tier would not excite supporters, and it's a move that could prove expensive if it is made permanent.

Derby must look towards younger stars and build their squad for the future, rather than the present. Players such as Kenzo Goudmijn have already proven that young talent is the way forward at Pride Park, and they must avoid Smith at all costs.