John Eustace ready to offload Derby County star - Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town & Plymouth Argyle should pounce | OneFootball

We looked at three clubs who should make a January move for out-of-favour Derby County defender Curtis Nelson.

Derby County defender Curtis Nelson could be a man in demand in January after he was made available for transfer by Rams head coach John Eustace.

Nelson joined Derby on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 after his release by Blackpool, and he starred in his first season at Pride Park as he helped the club win automatic promotion from League One.

The 32-year-old continued to be a regular for the Rams in the Championship in the first half of last season, but he has not featured since sustaining a serious knee injury back in January.

Nelson has been named on the bench for his side's last two games against Swansea City and Middlesbrough after returning to fitness, but it seems he is no longer part of Eustace's plans, and Derby are open to either loan or permanent offers for the defender in January, as FLW exclusively revealed on Thursday.

As he prepares to depart once the winter window opens, we looked at three clubs who should have Nelson on their radar.

Sheffield Wednesday

Having only had a brief taste of Championship football with Derby last season before suffering his injury, Nelson may feel he still has more to offer at second tier level, and Sheffield Wednesday could give him the chance to remain in the division.

It has been a nightmare season for the Owls, and after receiving a 12-point deduction for entering administration, as well as a further six-point penalty for multiple late wage payments under former owner Dejphon Chansiri, they currently sit bottom of the table on -10 points and are almost certain to be relegated to League One.

After Chansiri's mismanagement over the summer, Wednesday were left with a threadbare squad heading into the season, and their makeshift defence has seriously struggled this campaign, with Henrik Pedersen's men conceding 36 goals in their 18 league games so far.

As they look to bolster their vulnerable back line, the Owls recently brought in former Leeds United defender Liam Cooper on a free transfer, but they are in desperate need of further experience, and Nelson would certainly fit the bill.

Given Wednesday's current predicament, Hillsborough may not be Nelson's first choice destination, but he would likely start most games for the club given their lack of defensive depth, which is exactly what he needs after such a long spell on the sidelines, and he would also be able to put himself in the shop window ahead of the summer.

Huddersfield Town

After a busy summer of transfer activity, Huddersfield Town were widely tipped to win the League One title this season, but it has been an inconsistent campaign for Lee Grant's side so far.

Despite bringing in the likes of Joe Low, Sean Roughan, Jack Whatmough, Josh Feeney and Murray Wallace in the summer, the Terriers have been caught out defensively at times this season, and the 25 goals they have conceded is the joint-most in the top half of the League One table.

Scoring goals has not been a problem for Town, but the 3-3 draw against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday highlighted their defensive shortcomings, and as Grant seems unable to find the right formula to tighten his side up at the back, he may need to enter the transfer market once again.

Having helped Derby to automatic promotion from League One in the 2023-24 season, with his performances earning him both the Players’ Player and the Jack Stamps Player of the Season awards, Nelson has excellent third tier pedigree, and his experience could be vital for the Terriers in the second half of the campaign.

The strong competition for places he would face may potentially put Nelson off from making the move to the Accu Stadium, but he could be exactly what Huddersfield need to solve their current defensive problems.

Plymouth Argyle

Like Huddersfield, Plymouth Argyle were another of the promotion favourites in League One at the start of the season, but it has been a dismal campaign so far for Tom Cleverley's men.

After suffering relegation from the Championship last season, the Pilgrims currently sit 23rd in the table, and as things stand, they look in serious danger of dropping into League Two.

Argyle have conceded 31 goals this season, which is the most in the third tier, so it is not too difficult to see where their main problems lie, and after being breached three times in Saturday's horror 3-0 home defeat to Northampton Town, the need for defensive reinforcements could not be clearer.

As they have one of the younger squads in the league, Plymouth must target more experienced players in January, and they could turn to a familiar face in Nelson to help get them out of their current predicament, with the defender previously scoring nine goals in 246 appearances during a seven-year spell at the club after coming through their academy.

With Nelson needing to build up his fitness after almost a year on the sidelines, he may see Home Park as the perfect place to get back up to speed, and while he may not ideally want to drop down to the bottom end of League One, the chance to help his former club avoid what would be a devastating second consecutive relegation could be too tempting for him to turn down.