Derby County have made an excellent start to life in the Championship but in the back of Paul Warne’s mind, he will be thinking about the January transfer window.
The Rams overhauled their squad during the summer as 12 new players were brought into the club whilst seven were let go, including the long-serving Louie Sibley.
David Clowes and Paul Warne deserve huge credit for unearthing gems in the transfer window despite working with a limited budget, as goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Kenzo Goudmijn have both flourished since arriving from abroad.
Warne has assembled a competitive squad however, the first 12 games of the campaign have shown why Derby County need to sign a target man striker and capture one of their current loanees permanently.
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Paul Warne should strike permanent Jerry Yates transfer in January
Jerry Yates was one of five players loaned into the club this summer, including Tawanda Chirewa, David Ozoh, Nat Phillips and Marcus Harness.
Whilst Ozoh has looked promising and Harness has scored once since joining from Ipswich Town, Yates is arguably the most important loan signing they made.
The 27-year-old arrived from Swansea City with the hope of rediscovering his clinical edge, and while he’s only scored once, his all-round play has been excellent.
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In the build-up phase of attacks, the jet-heeled forward has shown brilliant link-up play and offered piercing runs in behind that help open space for the rest of his teammates.
It’s this work that often goes unnoticed and makes him an invaluable asset in the centre of Derby’s attack, especially with the lack of quality options Warne has to choose from.
Yates has also showcased the creative side of his game, ranking in the top 20% of Championship forwards for assists per 90, as per FBref, with two in his first 10 games.
So, given how he’s gelled into the Rams forward line, Warne must certainly consider making a permanent deal for Yates his first piece of business in January.
What other business should Derby do in January?
Along with the permanent signing of Yates, Derby should bring in a target forward, who can help with their away day struggles.
The Swansea loanee has often looked like a passenger when the Rams play on their travels, as highlighted by the fact he made just 17 touches against Oxford and 19 in the draw at Millwall.
With ball retention being a clear issue on their travels, the signing of a tall, burly centre-forward could allow for the ball to stick in those higher parts of the pitch.
It could also open the possibility of Yates playing alongside a target man and feeding off his knockdowns, playing to his strengths of running in behind and stretching defences.
The Rams could also look at adding an attacking midfielder to their ranks. Warne has preferred to use Goudmijn in a deep midfield role and the Dutchman needs some competition from a creative aspect.
Derby have often struggled to carve open chances, particularly away from home, so having a diminutive and tricky playmaker in the engine room could make all the difference.