Eiran Cashin sold: Derby County will want to avoid these 2 nightmare transfer scenarios this January | OneFootball

The Rams are in desperate need of improvements this month, but they cannot afford to let their most talented centre-back go.

Derby County's January transfer window has started relatively quietly, with the departures of defenders Ben Radcliffe and Sonny Bradley the only two pieces of action taken by Paul Warne.

The former was sold to Crawley Town following a spell at Gateshead, while Bradley has joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of the season as the Chairboys attempt to win promotion to the Championship.

Despite the lack of incomings, the Rams have been linked with several players already this month, and there will be a desire from supporters to see new stars make their way through the door at Pride Park in the next couple of weeks as their team battle against relegation.

Nevertheless, Football League World has picked out two situations that would be a nightmare for Derby this January, and they must do everything they can to stop them from happening.

Eiran Cashin is sold

Defensively, the Rams have not been as watertight as they were in League One last season, but the performance levels of Eiran Cashin have not dropped and instead he has only improved in a higher division.

The 23-year-old has been out of action since his side's 4-0 win over Portsmouth in December, after suffering a hamstring injury, and it is clear that they are missing him in the centre of defence.

Nat Phillips has filled in excellently alongside Curtis Nelson while the academy graduate has been unavailable for selection, but it is clear that Cashin is still Derby's best centre-back, and he will come straight back in when he is fully fit.

At the start of last season, the former Republic of Ireland U21 international was targeted by Brighton & Hove Albion, and while this interest seems to have cooled recently, there will still be a fear for supporters that he will come on their radar once again.

Cashin is a Premier League defender in waiting, and the Rams will want to keep hold of him for as long as possible. There has not been any suggestion so far this month that he is the target of a top-flight side, but with his ability, it would not be surprising to see his name mentioned at some point, and that would be a nightmare situation for Derby.

A new forward is not signed

The greatest desire for the Rams is to bring in another striker this month, and both Ali Al-Hamadi and Louie Barry are on their radar.

Warne is reportedly closing in on a deal for Barry after his loan at Stockport County was brought to an early end due to his success in League One. Aston Villa will have plenty of teams approaching them for the services of the 21-year-old, and Derby must make sure that they win the battle for him.

Scoring goals has not been their strong point this season, and Jerry Yates is in desperate need of support up front. If they can bring the forward in for the rest of the campaign, then they will stand a good chance of avoiding the drop and will have the quality to be able to push back towards mid-table.

However, missing out on another striker altogether would be a huge blow, and Derby's chances of staying up will be slashed greatly. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the Rams secure a deal for a forward this month.