Paul Warne has hinted at making wholesale changes to the Derby County squad if his side wins promotion this season.
With only seven matches left to go, promotion back to the Championship is in Derby’s hands after beating Bolton Wanderers in a box office clash at Pride Park.
Kane Wilson‘s header from a Callum Elder corner secured the Rams all three points 12 minutes from time and stretched their lead on third place to four points.
Paul Warne‘s men now have a handy cushion to carry with them into Saturday’s away trip to Northampton while the likes of Portsmouth, Blackpool and Wycombe Wanderers lurk in the distance. It means that, while Derby have some comfort, the race to the top is far from over.
If Warne’s squad successfully hold their nerve and return to the second tier, CEO Stephen Pearce has said that the club will spend money to compete in the Championship while the Derby boss has dropped a hint on his squad plans.
Paul Warne expects plenty of changes to Derby County squad
Derby’s squad is the oldest in League One, boasting an average age of 27.9.
It means that a lot of their players are entering the twilight years of their career or starting to think about their plans after retirement.
A number of their first-team stars are in that boat, including Conor Hourihane, James Collins and the long-serving Craig Forsyth, with their contracts at Pride Park expiring in the summer and no renewals yet discussed.
Collins, Forsyth and Hourihane, despite playing integral roles in this season’s promotion push, are three of 12 who are waiting to be offered a new deal at Derby.
Warne isn’t interested in discussing the futures of his first-team stars until the season is wrapped up, as reported by journalist Dominic Dietrich, but the Rams boss is willing to make several changes to his squad if promotion is achieved.
Who is out of contract at Derby County in 2024?
Eight of the 12 players whose contracts expire are aged 30 and above.
Crucially, several on that list, including Tom Barkhuizen, Forsyth, Hourihane, and Collins have started most weeks for Derby while Dwight Gayle has been a revelation since joining.
Academy graduates Louie Sibley, Liam Thompson and Darren Robinson also see their contracts expire while goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith and striker Martyn Waghorn are in the same boat.
Midfielder Korey Smith and back-up goalkeeper Scott Loach make up the list of 12.
Given he hasn’t featured at all for Derby this term, Loach is the most likely of that list to depart, but it’s difficult to assess which other players will leave at this stage.
If promotion is achieved, Warne could let the majority of those players depart and start to flesh out his squad with youthful talent.