Derby County really missed a trick not signing this player for Phillip Cocu.
Phillip Cocu endured a mixed stint during his brief spell at Pride Park a few years back.
Cocu was announced as the new manager of Derby County on July 5th, 2019, replacing Frank Lampard in the dugout.
The 53-year-old had a solid debut season in England, guiding the Rams to a 10th-place finish in the Championship.
His style of play was also quite pleasing on the eye, with Derby fans dubbing it ‘Cocuball’.
However, after narrowly missing out on a top-six finish in 2019/20, the following campaign got off to a nightmare start.
Derby and Cocu parted ways in November 2020, with the club sitting dead bottom of the Championship.
His spell in England was not the most memorable but one key mistake from his tenure has now come to light.
Former Derby County target now of interest to Manchester United and Brighton
Back in December 2019, Derby County News covered reports that claimed Derby wanted to sign Fenerbahce midfielder Ferdi Kadioglu.
In the end, however, the now 24-year-old did not sign for Cocu’s side and he has since remained in Turkey.
Kadioglu has made over 200 appearances for Fenerbache and is now an established international for Turkey.
His rise over the last few years has now garnered him interest from the Premier League this summer.
Sport Witness, citing reports from Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, claim Brighton and Hove Alibion recently made a £30m offer for the player.
However, Fenerbahce have held off on agreeing a deal as Manchester United have also joined the race for his signature.
The Seagulls are waiting for an answer regarding their £30m offer this week but things are ‘looking brighter’ on that front.
Derby transfer strategy has improved since Phillip Cocu
Derby were relegated to League One just one season after they sacked Cocu.
However, the arrival of David Clowes in 2022 has brought a new lease of life to the club both on and off the pitch.
Paul Warne was the man tasked with returning the club to the Championship and he did so in impressive fashion in 2023/24.
The Rams have since had a solid transfer window so far, spending limited money but signing some quality players.
New addition Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored the winner as Derby beat Middlesbrough 1-0 this past weekend.
Free transfer Ben Osborn has received high praise as well after his limited showings for his new club.
Missing out on a player like Sabuncuoglu is, of course, a big blow, but Derby fans should be happy with how their club are now approaching the transfer market.