The players that are unlikely to be part of Paul Warne’s Der y County plans are already starting to show.
Derby County’s start to the season has taken fans by surprise, as many expected the Rams to struggle following a difficult opening day away at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers.
The Rams managed to recruit very shrewdly throughout the summer, from the Premier League experience of Nat Phillips from Liverpool and Ben Osborn following his release from Sheffield United, to the young and exciting ranks in the centre-of-the-park, with David Ozoh and Kenzo Goudmijn already shining in Derbyshire.
Paul Warne’s favourites in the side are already starting to show across the pitch, and whilst squad depth certainly is not an issue at Derby County, there could be pockets of players that are already eyeing a move away from the club, with it becoming evident that some may no longer have much of a future at the club.
Here are three that could move on in January following the current uncertainty surrounding their future.
Corey Blackett-Taylor
The Derby County winger was notably absent from the squad that hosted Bristol City in the most recent victory for Warne’s side before the international break.
Some were questioning as to whether this was down to the attacker’s fitness, however Warne confirmed, per DerbyshireLive, that Corey Blackett-Taylor was fully fit, but there was no space in the squad for the former Charlton man.
Blackett-Taylor was handed fairly limited game time in League One last season after joining in January 2024, and with the signing of Marcus Harness, there is every chance that it will become a recurring theme of him not travelling with the squad.
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Conor Washington
The Northern Irish international is another player who, like Blackett-Taylor, was also left out of the recent Derby County Championship squad due to the lack of space for the striker.
Conor Washington is yet to be handed a single minute of action so far this season, and there is the likelihood that Warne will follow suit with favouring the likes of Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates.
The 32-year-old was also behind James Collins in the pecking order last season, and it appears to be the case for the 2024/25 campaign, with his teammate getting substitute appearances.
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Sonny Bradley
The third on this list is Derby County defender Sonny Bradley, who despite seeing more action than the former two names, still looks to be far down the pecking order for the Rams.
Bradley’s one league start this season came away at Watford, however he was an unused substitute in the following game against Bristol City following the return of Eiran Cashin.
With Curtis Nelson performing brilliantly as of late, as well as the signing of Phillips, Bradley has slid out of contention in Warne’s side, and for the sake of his career and game time, he may very well be looking to depart from the club at the next possible window.