Paul Warne is assembling a squad ready to tackle the Championship and he could land an ‘exciting’ partner for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in a potential bargain move.
The EFL fixtures for the 2024/25 season were released two weeks ago and Derby discovered they’d be kicking off their Championship campaign with a trip to Blackburn Rovers.
Ahead of that start date, Paul Warne wants most of his Rams squad assembled and currently, that looks promising with four players through the door, including Ben Osborn, Kayden Jackson, Jerry Yates and Kenzo Goudmijn.
The latest of those is the Dutch midfielder, who is expected to be joined by former Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
Once that deal is wrapped up, barring any hiccups, Warne must focus on investing in wide areas and there’s one talent he should be looking at.
Huddersfield’s Sorba Thomas could be available for £850k
Investing in a quality wide player could be crucial to staying up in the Championship. Warne currently has sparse options down the wings, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on the left and Corey Blackett-Taylor on the right.
New signing Jackson can play on the flank but in terms of natural wide players, Derby are lacking, though they could resolve that issue by capturing Huddersfield’s Sorba Thomas.
According to journalist Darren Witcoop, Thomas is expected to leave the Terriers this summer following their relegation from the second tier and could be available for around £850,000.
Witcoop also reveals that there is Championship interest in his signature, and while it remains to be seen if Derby are one of those clubs, Warne would be silly not to try to sign him.
What Sorba Thomas would bring to Derby County
Whilst Mendez-Laing fired the Rams to promotion with 25 goal contributions, predominantly playing from the left flank, Warne had to constantly change personnel on the opposite wing, often using Joe Ward, Kane Wilson and Blackett-Taylor.
The latter failed to impress following his January move from Charlton. He will get further chances to showcase his worth in the Championship but Derby need a guaranteed starter and for £850k, they don’t come much better than Thomas.
The 8-cap Wales international transformed into an assist machine after joining Huddersfield from Boreham Wood in 2020, accumulating seven goals and 31 assists in 125 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit.
Last season, Thomas was a rare beam of light in a dark campaign for the club, as he grabbed four goals and supplied nine assists in 41 Championship matches.
Dubbed ‘exciting’ by journalist Zach Lowy, the 25-year-old is a fantastic player to watch when at his best, utilising his explosive pace and power to beat defenders. Against wingers in the second tier last term, he ranked in the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 18% for progressive carries.
Derby have signed strikers such as Jackson and Yates who thrive off service and in Thomas, they have someone who is excellent at crossing the ball and would form a strong partnership with the explosive Mendez-Laing.