Derby County have a transfer ‘priority’ this summer to address that could make the ‘difference’ in the Championship.
Following promotion from League One, Paul Warne has overhauled his Derby County squad ahead of the Championship.
The Rams boss saw seven players leave Pride Park, while six have arrived, predominantly bolstering the midfield with David Ozoh, Ebou Adams, Kenzo Goudmijn and Ben Osborn all joining.
Warne has also strengthened his attack with the additions of Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates, who will support veteran forward options James Collins and Conor Washington.
Despite signing two new strikers who have played regular Championship football, there are still concerns over their potency in the final third.
Paul Warne still needs to strengthen his Derby attack
Last season, Derby were the joint-lowest scorer of sides that finished in the play-offs. Warne relied on the goals of Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who bagged 23 between them – almost a third of their goals combined.
In the Championship, though, the Rams could struggle to find the net regularly and with Collins and Mendez-Laing in their thirties, Warne needs a long-term replacement for the duo.
Derby did sign Yates on loan from Swansea and Jackson on a free transfer but according to writer Leigh Curtis, neither are the answer to their prayers.
As per the Derby Telegraph, Curtis wrote: “Derby’s search for a number nine has been a protracted one and has been ongoing since last season. The club has yet to find a striker who can lead the line for the long term, but invariably they cost the big bucks.
“James Collins is into his 30s, Conor Washington has had injury problems since his arrival and Jerry Yates is only here on a season-long loan. Kayden Jackson can play down the middle but he does strike you as more of a wide forward.
“There is definitely scope to add another number nine because if Yates were to get injured, and let’s not forget he misses the first three games, then Derby’s options are hardly going to frighten the rest of the division.”
Curtis believes Derby should turn to the Premier League loan market or use inspiration from the signing of Goudmijn to acquire a player from a European club.
“The best hope Derby have is to nick somebody on loan be it a high-quality Premier League loan who won’t be playing much next season or an up-and-coming talent,” he added. “The problem is that everybody is chasing the same golden goose. Could Europe hold the key? Who knows.
“But the free agent list is hardly sparkling so the recruitment team is going to have to come up with some answers because the ability to score goals is the difference between success and failure – even more so in a division that is arguably the toughest it has ever been. But it has to be a priority.”
Derby could struggle to score goals without another striker
Yates will miss the first three matches of the season through suspension, so that leaves Jackson, Collins and Washington to lead the line, with Mendez-Laing also capable of playing there.
It has been made pretty clear that neither of those options are proven in the Championship. Jackson has scored just six goals in 65 second-tier appearances while between them, Collins and Washington have found the net just 45 times in 256 matches.
As Curtis said, those are records that hardly jump off the paper and it leaves Warne needing to sign another centre-forward, otherwise, it’s difficult to see where the goals could come from.
Ultimately, a strong defence will only take you so far, whereas boasting a quality striker can make all the difference in the fight for survival.