Derby County fans will want to see their club strengthen in the January transfer window to keep their good form going.
After being promoted back into the Championship for the 2024/25 season, it was expected the Rams would struggle and be quickly sucked into a relegation battle.
However, ahead of Derby County facing Preston North End, they are sat 12th in the Championship table after 15 games of 2024/25.
But with just under a third of the season gone, the Rams cannot get complacent and should be looking to strengthen in the winter window in order to ensure they do not drop further down the division in the coming months.
The main area the club need to improve in as we head toward the winter window is up front.
Derby wanted to sign a striker in August but their move for a second addition on top of Jerry Yates fell through.
Yates has found form in recent games but it is clear a backup or partner for the Swansea City loanee is still needed.
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Paul Warne must reunite with Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith for Derby County
Derby’s transfer budget, especially midway through a season when they do not yet know which league they will be playing their football in next year, is expected to be fairly small.
However, a recent update from Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith could have just given Paul Warne a great chance to sign a proven Championship forward for a cut-price fee.
Smith has been on Wednesday’s books since leaving Rotherham United – where he played under then-manager Warne – in 2022.
This week though, Smith cast doubt over his Owls future with his current contract set to expire in 2025 and talks over a fresh deal yet to start, as per The Star.
He said: “I’ve always felt that if you do that then everything else will take care of itself, whether that’s getting a new contract or moving on elsewhere. I know if I can control what I can then I’ll be alright at the end of the day.
“We’ve had a few conversations, but the games have come thick and fast recently so it’s been pushed to the side – which is fully understandable. Whether those conversations are picked up in the next week or so we’ll have to wait and see. But obviously the manager is fully focused on the games coming up – as am I, as is the group. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Why Derby County should sign Michael Smith
While the striker has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth in Yorkshire this season, he still has three goals and two assists in the Championship.
And after scoring against Portsmouth in late October, Smith was labelled ‘perfect’ by one EFL pundit speaking on the Second Tier Podcast.
Smith is currently valued at around £300,000 by Transfermarkt but his contract situation means he will likely be available for even less than that.
The 33-year-old has a plethora of experience in the Championship and the fact he has already spent four years playing under Warne at Rotherham means he would likely settle in at Debry very quickly.