Derby County must ensure that they do one important thing before the summer transfer window shuts.
The Rams have made their transfer priorities clear ahead of the 11pm deadline, with centre-backs and strikers looking to be of the utmost importance for Paul Warne side.
Derby County have targeted a loan move for Leicester City defender Ben Nelson, as well as Championship veteran centre-back Liam Cooper, who had a move to Hull City fall through, and now looks likely to join up at Pride Park.
Warne has also made it clear that he is looking to add another striker to his side prior to the window slamming shut, however Derby County are potentially putting their season in jeopardy by not prioritising one absolutely crucial signing for the Rams.
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Derby County must target wide players ahead of the window shutting
Whilst Derby County’s defence is understandably in need of recruits ahead of the window closing, bringing strikers into Pride Park seems a bit excessive for Warne’s side, and it could be detrimental to the Rams’ season if they short-sightedly don’t look to bring in a winger.
Striker options for Warne’s side are already in abundance, especially with the ever-growing likelihood that both James Collins and Conor Washington could be staying at Pride Park this season, whereas out wide, options are far and few.
It must be noted in time that whilst Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen are sufficient for the Championship, there doesn’t appear to be much firepower in the pair, and a lack of depth could come back to haunt Warne’s side.
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Derby County must show urgency to get necessary deals done at this stage
Derby County risk potentially taking up too much time in their defensive pursuits and distracting from the necessity of bringing a winger into the side.
A bit of quality in either flank will make a significant difference for Warne’s side, especially when utilising Jerry Yates or Collins, both of which thrive on getting service from wide areas.
In the current situation for Derby County where they are unlikely to spend excessively, they have done very well in building up their midfield and striker options, however today will tell if they can follow suit with a winger signing, otherwise it could come back to haunt the Rams.