What's happened to Kenzo Goudmijn since he left Derby County? | OneFootball

The 24-year-old was the Rams' fourth summer signing of 2024 under former head coach Paul Warne

Kenzo Goudmijn was Derby County's fourth summer signing of 2024 under former head coach Paul Warne.

Warne and his staff travelled to the Netherlands to scout the midfielder in person before striking an agreement with AZ Alkmaar for what turned out to be an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old went on to make 44 appearances in all competitions for Derby in 24/25, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

It's fair to say that once John Eustace took charge of the Rams that he never fully backed Goudmijn to start. This was evident in the Dutchman's substitute appearances at the start of this season before being shipped out to Go Ahead Eagles on loan.

Having not started for the Deventer-based side since January, FLW takes a look at what's happening with Goudmijn this season.

How Kenzo Goudmijn has fared since his Derby County exit

Speaking after the deal was agreed, Goudmijn made it clear that the project at De Adelaarshorst appealed on both a football and personal level. He told the Eredivisie side’s website, via the BBC, "When I realised this was the best move for me, it was pretty clear pretty quickly that I want to play for Go Ahead Eagles this season.

"I expect to have a lot of fun in this fantastic stadium and I want to help the team have a great season," Goudmijn added.

Across all competitions, he has made 22 appearances so far this season, with 15 of those coming in the Eredivisie, two in the KNVB Cup, and five in the Europa League. Yet, as mentioned earlier, he hasn’t started since January.

That is seemingly down to fitness rather than any dramatic falling out or loss of faith from the club’s manager, Melvin Boel. Before Go Ahead’s NAC Breda clash on the 15th March, Boel specifically mentioned Goudmijn’s absence from the side - explaining he had only just returned to individual training and was not quite ready to feature.

Goudmijn did make the bench last Sunday to face Oscar Fraulo's old team, FC Utrecht, but didn't get subbed on.

Off the pitch, this loan has coincided with the midfielder recently becoming a father, which may be another factor as to whether his long-term future is in England or not.

Kenzo Goudmijn might have already played his last game for Derby County

In all fairness, the fact that his Go Ahead switch is a straight loan, without any option to buy, the door is obviously kept open for Eustace, and Derby, to reassess him in pre‑season.

However, should Derby double down on the likes of David Ozoh or Bobby Clark and attempt to make these loans into a permanent move, Goudmijn may find his future already decided for him.

Lewis Travis, David Ozoh, Bobby Clark and Oscar Fraulo are all the more preferred options for Eustace over Goudmijn. Then you have to consider the likes of Liam Thompson - who is still injured himself - and youngster Cruz Allen, who made his Championship debut in February.

This is also without considering the possibility of the Rams signing more central midfielders in the summer. In that scenario, a strong finish for Goudmijn this season would make a permanent exit to a club like Go Ahead Eagles, or another Dutch side, a realistic possibility, especially if he and his young family are settled back in the Netherlands.

Right now, everything points to his current loan as a stop-start one. The 24-year-old did manage a consistent run of games when he first joined, yet has had to warm the bench quite a lot...

It seems very similar as to how his initial time at Pride Park panned out.