According to fcupdate.nl, Derby County missed out on signing Mike te Wierik on deadline day because his Groningen teammate Samir Memisevic is set to leave.
The Rams tried to push through a deadline day deal for te Wierik.
The 27-year-old central defender is out of contract next summer. Derby perhaps thought they could sign him for a potential bargain price deal now.
The Dutch club, however, have held firm and kept hold of their club captain.
Groningen’s decision is a result of losing fellow defender Samir Memisevic. The player is set to move to China in the coming days with their transfer window still open.
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Derby may have missed out on te Wierik now, but they can sign the player this summer.
The defender’s contract is expiring. The Rams can open discussions now as the ruling allows foreign clubs to strike a pre-arranged agreement six months in advance.
Derby made a central defender a top priority during the transfer window.
The sacking of Richard Keogh has left a void at the club. Manager Phillip Cocu has had to rely on Curtis Davies, Andre Wisdom and Brighton loanee Matt Clarke for options.
Te Wierik is a ball-playing defender. He boasts an 87.4% pass-accuracy rate and has helped Groningen have the second-best defensive record in the Eredivisie.
Also see: Derby player open to joining Championship rivals next summer
Also see: U21 international says Derby tried to force Nottinghamshire club into buying him