Derby County must be cautious of Southampton transfer for one clear reason | OneFootball

Derby County must be wary in replacing Jacob Widell Zetterstrom with Gavin Bazunu for one clear reason

Derby County had an enjoyable campaign last time around. Although it would ultimately end with the Rams just falling short of their ultimate goal, John Eustace's side will hope to build upon last year next season, with no intentions of becoming weaker in any area.

Indeed, a 2-1 defeat on the final day at home to Sheffield United, as well as results elsewhere, confirmed Derby's status as a Championship team for another year, though most Derby fans will be pleased with the outcome.

Having narrowly scraped survival in 2025, the Rams, under the guidance of Eustace, rocketed up the table, seeing huge strides of improvement in comparison with the year before, something which supporters will hope can continue.

Keeping the core of the squad from last year will be one of Eustace's main aims, having already completed the permanent addition of Bobby Clark from RB Salzburg for around £6 million after a successful loan.

With Eustace making his ambition of bringing back numerous loan players clear, he will be equally as keen to retain his star players already contracted to the club, including Swedish shot-stopper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, who appears to be edging closer to the exit door at Pride Park, with a swoop for a division rival's replacement lined up.

Derby County must be cautious in replacing Jacob Widell Zetterstrom with Southampton shot-stopper Gavin Bazunu

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Zetterstrom, 27, joined Derby in the summer of 2024 for around £1.4 million from Swedish side Djurgarden, and when fit, has been the Rams' undisputed number one ever since.

He would link up with his national team this summer for the World Cup in North America, and would replace Kristoffer Nordfeldt between the sticks for the final two games of the tournament against Japan and France.

Although France would prevail 3-0, Zetterstrom made nine saves in the game, impressing on the global stage, and as a result, Fabrizio Romano reported that each of Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers had all registered an interest in the 27-year-old.

Entering the final 12 months of his deal at Pride Park and showing no signs of penning an extension as yet, exit fears have emerged as a result, as Derby have reportedly turned their attentions elsewhere in case of a departure.

As per Jack Rosser of SunSport, the Rams have identified Southampton's Irish international Gavin Bazunu as a potential replacement for Zetterstrom, in a move that raises more questions than it answers.

Bazunu, 24, joined the Saints in the summer of 2022 for around £12 million from Manchester City, and has endured a difficult period on the South Coast ever since, suffering two relegations and spending time out on loan with both Standard Liege and, most recently, Stoke City.

Halfway through last campaign, Bazunu was replaced as Southampton's number one by German boss Tonda Eckert due to his poor performances in between the sticks, with Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz arriving from Bayern Munich on loan as his replacement.

The Irishman would subsequently join Stoke on loan in January to replace the injured Viktor Johansson, but his time in the Potteries didn't go much better, picking up an injury after just one game in training, ruling him out for six weeks.

By the end of the season, Bazunu had made 25 appearances across his time with both Southampton and Stoke, but, having allowed in 8.6 more goals than expected, as per FotMob, the Irishman was statistically the worst keeper in the division last season by that metric.

Zetterstrom, on the other hand, prevented 5.5 goals across the course of the campaign, with only Coventry City's Carl Rushworth and Ipswich Town's Christian Walton preventing more in the Championship.

Whilst one season cannot be taken as the only factor when comparing the two goalkeepers, and goals prevented difference between the two of 14.1 is quite staggering, and something Derby must absolutely consider when shortlisting Bazunu as a replacement for Zetterstrom.

Bazunu, too, is entering the final 12 months of his deal with Southampton, and will likely be available for relatively cheap, with Peretz having now signed permanently to be their new number one for next year.

The Irishman would need to take major strides in his game to come close to replicating Zetterstrom's campaign with Derby, as these underlying numbers should be something the Rams must be aware of before they make a formal move for the 24-year-old.

John Eustace must be aware of the underlying numbers when considering Gavin Bazunu as a replacement for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom

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It probably goes without saying that Eustace will be wanting to keep Zetterstrom around at Derby beyond the summer by any means necessary, but the 46-year-old may have little say in the matter.

Should the Swede not sign a fresh deal at Pride Park, Derby run the risk of keeping a player who may not necessarily want to be there anymore before losing them on a free.

Selling him this summer presents huge risks of its own, given replacing him will be no easy feat, but Derby must do their due diligence when considering a replacement for him.

Bazunu, whilst he has had a difficult few years, needs to find a new permanent home where he can find his confidence once more, as with 32 Premier League appearances under his belt, his quality cannot be denied.

Whether Derby is that destination remains to be seen, though the Rams ought to consider carefully before making a swoop for the Southampton shot-stopper.