Derby County, Blackburn and Rangers in transfer race to sign star who was eyeing Man Utd move | OneFootball

The 23-year-old centre-back has a brother who plays for Swansea City

Derby County and Blackburn Rovers are set to enter a transfer tussle with Scottish outfit Rangers for a centre-back who believes he’s going to play for Manchester United ‘someday’.

At this stage, there’s been no Derby update regarding one of their defenders, Danny Batth, who was last known to be in discussion over his future, as per the Rams’ retained list.

If the 35-year-old doesn’t sign on again, it would leave Matt Clarke, Sondre Langås and Dion Sanderson as the three main centre-backs at Pride Park heading into next season - while Craig Forsyth can also play in that position if needed.

Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, would need to replace ex-Derby man Eiran Cashin, who arrived on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in January and quickly impressed at Ewood Park.

Derby County, Blackburn Rovers and Rangers interested in Excelsior centre-back Casper Widell

According to Swedish journalist Anel Advić, Rangers have emerged as serious suitors for 23-year-old centre-back Casper Widell, also Swedish, who plays for Excelsior in the Eredivisie.

But it is understood that Derby County and Blackburn Rovers are interested in the defender as well, who previously admitted he wants to play for Premier League giants Manchester United.

As an 18-year-old, Widell told Helsingborgs Dagblad, "My favorite team is Manchester United so someday I will play for Manchester United. And I want to do that when I'm at my best.

Widell added, "Then I've always told myself that my goal is to become one of the best in Sweden and one of the best center-backs in the world."

Those earlier comments came when Widell was coming through the ranks at his first club Helsingborgs IF. Having featured for his national team at youth level, it seems as though he was very highly rated as a youngster.

This past season, Widell was ever-present for Excelsior, starting all 34 of their Eredivisie matches and chipping in with one goal as the Rotterdam club finished 13th in the Dutch top flight.

As per FotMob data, the defender is right-footed and stands at 6'3". He won 106 aerial duels in 25/26, the most out of any player in the league.

Going back to the aforementioned report, Advić notes Widell’s contract with Excelsior runs until the summer of 2027, but claims that the Swede could leave for the right offer.

How Derby County and Blackburn Rovers could have the upper hand on Rangers to sign Casper Widell

You may or may not be aware of Casper's older brother Melker, a 24-year-old midfielder, who signed for Swansea City from AaB Aalborg in January 2025.

Whether that family link has any bearing on Casper's thinking about a potential move to England or Scotland is unclear, but the connection to the Championship is already there, which could help the Rams or Rovers potentially strike a deal over Rangers.

In truth, Derby potentially signing a Swedish centre-back who plays in the Eredivisie makes a lot of sense.

Firstly, Excelsior was the club where Kenzo Goudmijn spent a loan spell before joining the Rams permanently in the summer of 2024 from AZ. Then Derry Murkin, who signed from Utrecht on deadline day in February, is another example of how comfortable Derby have become recruiting from the Netherlands.

Which leads on to the Scandinavian Rams contingent. Derby have Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Lars Jorgen Salvesen, Langås and Oscar Fraulo on their books.

As for Blackburn, even with Tronstad leaving, they still have Mathias Jørgensen and Andri Gudjohnsen in Lancashire - their own cohort of Scandinavians.

This three-way pursuit will surely be an interesting one to watch over the coming weeks.