Derby County strengthened their squad successfully during the summer but failed to seriously improve one key position.
Derby captured 12 new players to prepare for the Championship, with a transfer for goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom arguably the Ram’s biggest bargain.
Zetterstrom has inspired his defence to three home clean sheets in the second tier as Paul Warne’s men maintained a 100% home record at Pride Park.
Warne was also able to bolster his midfield this summer, as Ebou Adams, Ben Osborn, David Ozoh and Kenzo Goudmijn have also flourished at the start of this season.
However, the Derby boss will be concerned that the club failed to add a striker to their ranks on deadline day despite showing late interest in Watford’s Mileta Rajovic and Ipswich Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi.
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Luton striker Cauley Woodrow will regret not joining Derby County
Cauley Woodrow is another striker Derby were linked with late on in the window as he emerged on their transfer radar throughout August.
The Rams did already sign Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates as striking options but were keen to add a third and Woodrow was seen as a realistic target.
Previously at Barnsley, where he plundered 53 goals in 157 appearances for the Tykes, the powerful striker joined Luton Town for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2022.
Woodrow has since struggled to replicate such goalscoring form at Kenilworth Road, with the 29-year-old scoring just six goals in 63 appearances.
Last season, he only started twice in the Premier League as Luton were relegated and the Englishman would have expected an increased amount of game time in the Championship.
Sadly, regular football hasn’t arrived for Woodrow despite the Hatters’ struggles so far, with the ‘fantastic’ striker featuring on the bench for five of their six matches and playing just 11 minutes.
It perhaps leaves the forward with regret that he didn’t push harder for a move out of Luton as Derby would have offered him much more game time.
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Cauley Woodrow would have offered Warne unique striking option
Derby’s current crop of centre forwards are great at running in behind and testing defences with their pace.
Woodrow, on the other hand, has excelled as a physically imposing striker whose primary aim is to hold up play, win aerial duels and score goals from inside the box.
Derby fans won’t have been impressed with Woodrow’s worrying recent scoring record however, the towering would have Warne a unique profile of player.
The Luton man would have been an effective option to bring off the bench late on in games or start away from home when the Rams need a player to relieve the defence of pressure.
It is clear that, while Woodrow’s form in front of goal leaves much to be desired, Warne could have been the man to unearth his most prominent attributes in the Championship.