With a third of the season now gone, it would be fair to start reflecting on the summer signings made by Paul Warne and see who has made the biggest impact at Derby County this term.
Derby County made the jump from League One to the Championship thanks to a second-placed finish last season, but Paul Warne obviously needed to make some major adjustments to get his squad ready for the step up in quality.
Plenty of players departed in the summer, with Warne adding another 11 new players to his roster, and judging by the fact Derby are currently 12th in the table, things are going swimmingly for the Rams and their fresh faces.
There are still areas of the squad Paul Warne needs to fix in January, but for now, we take a look at the business Derby concluded in the summer and rate the players on a scale of 1-10 based on their displays this season.
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Derby County have been successful in the transfer market
By and large, it’s hard to deny that Derby have made some really good signings this summer, and very few of the new players have been disappointing. But, Kenzo Goudmijn has been the standout, with Jacob Widell Zetterstrom also making a big impact as the Rams’ new number one goalkeeper.
Kenzo Goudmijn – 9
Finding creative players who can make things happen in the middle of the park is always difficult, but Derby have unearthed a real gem in Goudmijn. The Dutchman has been operating as a deep-lying playmaker so far, but could make even more of an impact if he’s pushed higher up the pitch.
With neat feet, impressive vision, and the ability to grab a goal, too, Goudmijn will be key to Derby evading relegation this year, and could even propel the club into midtable and beyond.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom – 8
With Joe Wildsmith departing in the summer, Derby needed a new number one between the sticks. Paul Warne took a gamble on Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, but the Swedish star has excelled upon his arrival in England and has barely taken any time to settle at all.
The 26-year-old commands his area well, has great reactions, and most importantly, is smart and composed when he’s got the ball at his feet, which helps Derby initiate smooth attacking moves from the back.
Ebou Adams – 8
Has really benefitted from the injury to David Ozoh, and has been a solid presence in the middle of the park for Derby, offering brilliant protection for the back four. It says it all that Ebou Adams leads the way for tackles and interceptions across England’s top four leagues.
| Statistic | Ebou Adams (2024/25) |
|---|---|
| Pass completion | 70.4% |
| Tackles won per 90 | 2.65 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.84 |
| Touches per 90 | 40.7 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 1.94 |
Jerry Yates – 8
While Jerry Yates may not have contributed as many goals as he would have hoped by now, the striker has quickly established himself as a fan-favourite at Pride Park, and his link-up play with the wingers could be key to Derby being successful this season.
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Injuries holding back David Ozoh and Tawanda Chirewa
While no single new arrival has necessarily failed at Derby this season, there are some who have not been able to live up to their potential just yet, but only because of injuries more than anything.
David Ozoh – 7
Simply put, David Ozoh is going to be a top quality player, and he’s already shown glimpses of greatness this season. Sadly, his progress has been massively hindered by injuries, but he’s on his way back soon, and Derby fans are very excited about that.
Ozoh reads the game so well, has a wonderful range of passing, and is the kind of midfielder who can really influence and dictate the flow of the game, even when playing deeper.
Kayden Jackson – 6
Overall, Kayden Jackson has done a good job out wide for Derby, and on his day, he’s a very useful player to have in the squad. However, there has been a suggestion that Jackson should be replaced after his wasteful display against Plymouth Argyle before the international break.
Marcus Harness – 6
One thing is clear so far this season: Paul Warne does not know his best combination when it comes to his wingers. Harness, on loan from Ipswich, has been in and out of the side, but has made a fairly decent impact when he has played.
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Ben Osborn – 6
It would be fair to say that Derby fans would probably have hoped for more from Ben Osborn. He’s a player who comes with a lot of experience, and yet he’s not really managed to establish himself in Warne’s starting XI consistently, and he will find it even harder when Ozoh is back.
Nat Phillips – 6
The Liverpool defender has come in and filled in where needed this season for Derby, and while he’s been a dependable squad player, he’s not exactly set the world alight. Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin are definitely the first-choice centre-back pairing for the Rams, so Phillips will have to just keep providing cover where needed this season.
Tawanda Chirewa – 5
Another player who has been massively impacted by injuries this term. The Wolves loanee has three appearances under his belt so far, but has missed the last seven league games, and could be out for a while to come.
Once he’s back, Derby will definitely find Chirewa’s trickery on the wing useful, but he has not had the chance to get going yet.
Rohan Luthra – N/A
Hasn’t played a minute of football yet, mainly due to Zetterstrom’s impressive start. It would be very unfair to give him a score right now.