Football League World
·25 dicembre 2024
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Yahoo sportsFootball League World
·25 dicembre 2024
The Rams have eight players out of contract at the end of the season.
Derby County have had a huge turnover in players over the last few years, and their current squad is unrecognisable to the one that last played in the Championship.
The consequences of administration and relegation saw the previous iteration of this Rams team ripped apart and replaced, and after winning promotion from League One last season, there has already been plenty of change.
Paul Warne has already handed a new contract to the superb Curtis Nelson during the 2024/25 campaign, and he will have a tough task on his hand to decide which of the eight players whose deals run out in June will be renewed, and Football League World have listed that group.
Conor Washington joined the Rams in the summer of 2023 from Rotherham United, but he never truly hit the ground-running, and this season has been an extremely difficult one for the forward.
Playing the majority of his football for the under-21's this season though, it seems that the 32-year-old's time at Pride Park is coming to an end sooner rather than later, and it would not be a surprise to see him leave before the end of the January transfer window.
The Northern Ireland international has struggled with fitness throughout his time at Derby, and he is in desperate need of a fresh start elsewhere to get this career back on track.
Craig Forsyth has been with the Rams since 2013, and has seen off competition from the likes of Scott Malone, Marcus Olsson and Max Lowe over the years to remain as the club's first-choice left-back.
The 35-year-old has been receiving contracts at the end of each season over the last few camapigns, and this means that by the time June comes around, there has been uncertainty surrounding his future.
Nevertheless, he has proven his worth consistently and is a favourite of Warne's. Derby will need to bring in another left-back if he is to go at the end of 2024/25, but once he gets going, there is no stopping the Scottish defender.
The scorer of the goal that sealed promotion on the final day of the season in 2023/24 against Carlisle United, James Collins, was rewarded with a one-year deal to help the Rams in their battle in the Championship.
It has not been plain sailing for the striker, but he has been a steady option off the bench, and has given Jerry Yates the rest that he has needed in the final minutes of games despite not quite being the goalscorer that he was in League One.
It seems unlikely that the 34-year-old will be given another deal once this campaign has concluded, but what he has given to the club can not be forgotten, having played a huge part in helping the East Midlands side back to this level.
Kane Wilson is the first of two players who the majority of Rams fans would expect to be rewarded with a new contract before his current deal runs out in June.
The right-back has been electric since joining from Bristol City at the start of last season, and he has impressed many with excellent dribbling skills and his ability to hold onto the ball in tight situations.
He has improved defensively in the last couple of months, and with Ryan Nyambe's injury, he has been entrusted as Derby's first-choice right-back, something he has relished, and Warne will be keen to keep hold of him.
Academy graduate, Liam Thompson, has been one of the brightest sparks for the Rams this season since returning from injury, and his energy in midfield has been vital to the success that his team have had so far.
The 22-year-old is another favourite of Warne's and is the other player that many expect to be handed a new deal sooner rather than later.
He triggered an extension in his last contract to extend his stay until the end of 2024/25, but securing him as a long-term option seems like the natural next step for Derby and Thompson.
The Rams signed Rohan Luthra after a trial period in pre-season, and so far, the majority of his action has been at Moor Farm, the club's training ground.
Behind Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Josh Vickers in the pecking order, it is clear that the ex-Cardiff City goalkeeper is Warne's third-choice, a role that he knew he was going into on arrival.
Luthra signed a one-year contract when he joined, and will leave Derby if that is not renewed.
Former Luton Town captain, Sonny Bradley, signed a two-year deal at Pride Park when he left Kenilworth Road following the Hatters' promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2023.
He has been utilised as the Rams' third, and now fourth-choice centre-back, but has put in some excellent performances when needed.
Now 33, the Hull-born defender has found appearances harder to come by since his side returned to the Championship, but has looked steady when called upon and his time at Derby has been relatively strong, but not exactly inspiring.
Tom Barkhuizen has already had a roller coaster of a season. After appearing in the first four games, he has struggled for minutes since, with a calf injury disrupting his flow.
He has been more involved in the first team in recent weeks, but the majority of his action is coming off the bench, and it seems unlikely that he will want to stay on for another year given that he may feel as though he has the ability to start elsewhere after triggering an extension in 2023/24.
Inconsistency has plagued Barkhuizen's time at Derby, but he has popped up with goals and assists in big moments, and bringing in another winger as cover will be needed if he does move on to pastures new.
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