Derby County have been dealt a major transfer blow in pursuit of one of their summer targets.
Derby County are poised for a big summer transfer window ahead of their return to the Championship.
The summer window officially opens on June 14th and so Paul Warne and his backroom team have less than a month to finalise their summer targets, and get to work on bringing them in.
But already there’s players on the move. Teams in the English Football League are wasting no time in readying themselves for the next season and Stoke City look like they’re now closing in on a signing.
And it’ll be one that catches Warne’s and Derby’s attention, with reports revealing that Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson is set to undergo a medical with the Potters.
It’s claimed that Stoke have triggered his release clause and that he’s now set to undergo a medical, with Stoke beating the likes of Derby County and several others to the signing.
So the Rams, who are set to lose goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith as things stand, must act quickly to finalise their no.1 for next season.
Derby County must now prioritise Karl Darlow capture
There’s something of a golden generation of goalkeepers in England right now, with a lot of young shot-stoppers coming though and making a name for themselves.
But a lot of them are tied to Premier League clubs. Derby may well have to rely on a loan man next season if Wildsmith doesn’t extend his stay, or look for someone a bit older and who might be available on the cheap.
And that someone could well be Karl Darlow at Leeds United; there’s speculation that Darlow could leave if Leeds sign another goalkeeper this summer, with current no.1 Illan Meslier having received mixed reviews.
Leeds are now in the Championship play-off final after thrashing Norwich City on Thursday night and promotion would surely see them invest in a new shot-stopper, potentially opening the door for Darlow to move on.
Karl Darlow to Derby County would be major signing for Paul Warne
There’s a lot of young and inexperienced goalkeepers in the Championship right now, with a lot of teams having seen their goalkeepers make individual errors leading to goals.
And Derby, who’ll likely be battling relegation next season, can’t have a goalkeeper making those kind of mistakes, so Warne may be eager to bring in someone who’s tried and tested.
Darlow is just that with 249 career appearances to his name during what has been a 14-year playing career so far, keeping 72 clean sheets, with nine of those coming in the Premier League.
He joined Hull City on loan in the 2022/23 season. He arrived in January and featured 12 times, keeping five clean sheets and winning the club’s Player of the Month award in March, showcasing his recent quality in the second tier.
But Darlow has only featured twice for Leeds in 2023/24 and so Derby would have to bring him in soon to get him up to match speed, though they may have to wait to find out Leeds’ fate in the play-offs before they can do so.
Either way, with Johansson set for Stoke, Derby have to move on and find a new no.1 for next season.
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