Derby County may have to part ways with a fan-favourite this summer despite him leading the way for one statistic in the Rams squad.
Derby are set for a huge day in their history on Saturday lunchtime. The Rams can win promotion to the Championship by securing at least a point against Carlisle United.
Promotion back to the second tier, despite spending no money in the summer, would mark an incredible achievement for Paul Warne.
As he aims to add a fourth promotion to his CV – achieving the other three with Rotherham – several players may have played their final game at Pride Park.
Once it is confirmed what division Derby will be playing in next season, Warne will have to resolve the futures of 12 first-team players who see their contracts expire in June.
The list includes Conor Hourihane, Joe Wildsmith, James Collins and Louie Sibley; players the Rams boss may consider keeping around in the Championship while Martyn Waghorn is someone they should let go.
Derby County should let Martyn Waghorn depart this summer
Waghorn is one player who sees his contract at Pride Park expire in the summer.
Having arrived for his second spell at the club, the Derby fan favourite began this campaign in inspired form, scoring five goals in his opening four matches which included a hat-trick against Peterborough.
Many expected the “incredible” 34-year-old to replicate the heroics of his first spell where he bagged 26 Championship goals across three seasons, but sadly, injury has prevented him from kicking on.
He missed 16 matches with a calf injury and since returning to the side at the end of February, has failed to score, although he has only started one match in that sequence.
Given he’s in his mid-thirties and Derby have ambitions of stepping up to the Championship, they should cut ties with the striker despite him ranking second in League One for an impressive statistic.
Martyn Waghorn’s goal per minute record
With Warne favouring Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Collins leading his forward line, it is surprising that Waghorn ranks high for the goals per minute metric.
Despite only starting nine times in the league this season, the former Peterborough United striker scores once every 125 minutes, as per Sofascore, ranking him behind only Portsmouth’s Kusini Yengi (97 minutes per goal).
This particular statistic shows that Waghorn is clinical when handed opportunities, however, that doesn’t warrant him earning a new contract in Derbyshire as the Rams will be looking to bolster their forward line while trimming down the average age of their squad.
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