Paul Warne is on the lookout for a defensive midfielder at Derby County and although Ebou Adams fits that bill, there is an alternative he could look at.
Derby boss Paul Warne has claimed he needs to bolster in every position for the club to compete at Championship level.
He’s described the second tier as the most competitive he’s seen in years and as Birmingham City were relegated with 50 points, he’s not wrong.
The competition appears to be getting harder every campaign, which means the Rams have to be meticulous in the transfer market and shop for bargains as opposed to splashing the cash.
Derby have already prepared a £250,000 bid for Ebou Adams from Cardiff City following his exceptional loan spell and midfield is an area that needs serious work.
Midfield is Paul Warne’s key problem at Derby County
With Max Bird completing his permanent switch to Bristol City and Adams returning to Cardiff, Derby are light on options in the middle of the park.
If you also factor in several players who are out of contract this summer, including academy graduate Liam Thompson, maestro Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith and Darren Robinson, the only player contracted to the club beyond this year is Tyrese Fornah.
Fornah rarely played for Warne in League One and is unlikely to earn regular minutes in the Championship, but it just highlights how much work the Rams boss has to do.
Derby have recently been linked to Barnsley midfielder Herbie Kane whose contract is set to expire. He is a natural replacement for Bird however, Warne also needs a midfield destroyer and he should look no further than Lincoln City’s Ethan Erhahon.
Paul Warne should launch an ambitious move for Ethan Erhahon
Ethan Erhahon was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in League One last season.
As a result, Lincoln’s director of football Jez George expects to generate a club-record transfer fee – likely to be in the region of £2 million – when he is sold in the future.
The Imps aren’t in a rush to sell the 22-year-old, but that price and his potential make it tempting to go for Erhahon over Adams.
Similarly to the Gambian, he’s tenacious and possesses a tigerish approach to defending but unlike the 28-year-old, Erhahon is unflustered in possession and is adept at protecting the ball in tight spaces.
Erhahon averaged an 83% pass completion across 43 League One matches last term and registered four assists, evincing his impact further forward and not just as a ball-winning machine.
Lincoln’s boss Michael Skubala has said they will struggle to keep hold of their ‘magnificent’ talent this term and looks like a Championship player in waiting.
If Derby are looking for a younger and more complete version of Adams, they should launch an ambitious move for Erhahon this summer.