How much money Derby County would save on wages if Curtis Nelson departs in January - John Eustace’s stance is clear | OneFootball

FLW has taken a look at how much Derby County would save if Curtis Nelson were sold on

Derby County would save a reasonable amount of money if they were to ship Curtis Nelson in the January transfer window.

The Rams have experienced an up-and-down 2025/26 Championship campaign thus far, which began with just one win in their opening ten league matches, leaving them dwindling towards the bottom of the table.

John Eustace’s side responded with five straight victories, which pushed them right back up into play-off contention. However, Derby have now lost three of their last four outings, dropping them back down into mid-table.

With the January transfer window approaching, every single club in the second-tier will be plotting tirelessly about how they can best prepare themselves for the rest of the campaign.

Derby are no exception, with Football League World recently exclusively revealing that defender Curtis Nelson isn’t in Eustace’s plans.

The 32-year-old has played just a single minute so far this season, after recovering from a knee ligament injury he suffered in January, and the Rams are open to letting him leave on either a temporary or permanent deal.

Derby County would save a fair amount in wages if Curtis Nelson was sold

There will be a number of reasons why Derby are looking at moving Nelson on in January, which will no doubt include his long-term absence.

However, another may be an attempt to raise funds as Eustace looks to utilise the January market to boost his squad.

This will require the Rams to make room in the squad and find available resources, both issues that would be somewhat resolved by the defender’s exit.

According to Capology, Nelson currently takes home an estimated £5k a week, which equates to an annual salary of £260,000.

There are plenty of higher earners within the fold at Pride Park, but his wage could also be used to bring some fresh blood to Derby.

His current deal is set to expire at the end of this term, which also adds another element to why the Rams would prefer a January exit for the defender.

Derby County could sacrifice Curtis Nelson for January additions

As previously mentioned, January can prove to be a pivotal moment in the season for every team in the EFL.

Bringing in some extra additions can provide the boost needed to achieve promotion or a play-off finish, whilst those who don’t recruit may end up faltering at the end.

Eustace will view Nelson as one of the most disposable members of his team, due to the fact that he hasn’t contributed in 2025 and there are still question marks over whether he can get back to his best.

This means that, if another team makes a reasonable offer for Nelson’s services in January, Derby won’t hesitate to get his wages off the bill and use them to bring in some fresh blood.