Derby County have now been told of a key ‘problem’ they could have in the race to land one of Paul Warne’s main targets this summer.
Derby County supporters have plenty to be excited about ahead of their return to the Championship.
The season is just under three weeks away from kicking off, as Paul Warne’s men head to Blackburn Rovers and the Rams will have a completely new look squad.
Derby had to release seven first-team players following promotion to the second tier, with Warne given a blank canvas to work from.
He’s used that to sign Ben Osborn, Kenzo Goudmijn, Jerry Yates, Kayden Jackson and fan favourite Ebou Adams while David Ozoh is an imminent arrival on loan from Crystal Palace.
Indeed, plenty of business has been done to bolster their midfield and attack but Warne still needs a goalkeeper to replace Joe Wildsmith, with Carlton Palmer raising doubts over one of Derby’s key targets.
Carlton Palmer warns Derby County of key ‘problem’ in Marek Rodak race
In addressing their goalkeeper situation, Derby have looked at Slovakian shot-stopper Marek Rodak, who was released from his contract at Fulham in June.
A move for the 27-year-old made perfect sense, as he worked with Warne during his time at Rotherham and has vast experience in the second tier, winning the Championship title in 2022.
Derby aren’t alone in their admiration for Rodak, with Alan Nixon revealing that divisional rivals Burnley and Hull City have joined the race for his signature.
Nixon has earmarked the goalkeeper’s £15k-a-week wages as an ‘obstacle’ in the deal and that is a similar sentiment shared by Palmer, who believes that salary could put Derby off at present.
Speaking to Football League World, the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder said: “There is a lot of competition for the player who was reported to be earning £15k a week at Fulham. Although he won’t be earning that sort of money, he’ll still be looking for a serious sum and that seems to have put Derby off at present, along with Burnley and Blackburn Rovers.
“Derby County are tight on the wages, and their top earner is believed to be James Collins on £8.5k a week, so they’re likely to be priced out of it.”
Derby should turn their attention to Jacob Widell Zetterstrom
Rodak earned a hefty chunk of wages at Fulham and it’s unlikely he’ll take a pay cut to join Derby, with the Rams needing to look elsewhere to fill the void.
Last week, it was reported that the Rams submitted a bid for Djurgarden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, who previously attracted interest from Liverpool and Wolves.
The one-time Sweden international – who made his debut for the national team in a friendly against Iceland in 2023 – has become one of the hottest goalkeepers in Europe.
Djurgårdens’ sporting director Bosse Andersson previously said of Zetterstrom: “He has been the best player in Allsvenskan during the spring, he is a spectacular goalkeeper. I understand that there is talk about Jacob, and there will be there will be talk all summer.
“We have shown that before, I think. Jacob has been with us for a long time, if there is something that is good for Djurgården and him, then we will have to consider it. Ideally, we don’t want to sell any player because we have a good team.”
Derby used the foreign market to sign midfielder Goudmijn from AZ Alkmaar, and they can find even more value by landing the towering 26-year-old from the Swedish top division.