Reported Derby County striker target Serdar Dursun took his season tally to six goals in ten games after netting a superb brace in Darmstadt’s 4-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig.
Dursun was heavily linked with a move to Derby in the summer.
According to BILD, Derby missed out on the signing of Dursun following a failed £900,000 bid.
Dursun’s contract at Darmstadt expires in the summer. Derby evidently tried to get him on the cheap, but the German second division side refused to strike a deal.
Derby’s failure to bring him in has been a key factor in the club’s struggles.
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The Rams saw Chris Martin depart at the end of his contract in the summer. The Scotland international later joined Championship rivals Bristol City on a free transfer.
Derby started the campaign desperately short in the final third. Martyn Waghorn and Tom Lawrence were injured, while Jack Marriott just didn’t suit Phillip Cocu’s system.
Ultimately, the lack of a focal point upfront has snowballed into a crisis.
Derby have struggled to score goals, netting just six (in all competitions) all season. The absence of a target man saw Cocu’s side crumble, and subsequently cost the Dutchman his job.
Now, Derby sit bottom of the Championship table with one win from 13 games.
Dursun, meanwhile, has posted six goals and two assists in ten games this season. The 29-year-old’s tally to date matches the entire Derby squad combined.
But it’s not just the goals. Standing at 6ft 3inch, Dursun bullies defenders, wins his aerial duels and brings others into play. His type is critical to making Phillip Cocu’s system work.
It remains to be seen whether Derby go in for him again in January. The Rams must make a striker a top priority, but Dursun may now have better options on the horizon.
A recent report from Sport Buzzer claimed Hannover 96 are keen. The so-called sleeping giants are among the favourites for promotion back to the Bundesliga this season.
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Also see: £2.3m ace chased by Derby and Swansea yet to feature this term after failed October move