Paul Warne should swoop for an ‘outstanding’ free agent to rival Curtis Nelson at the heart of the Derby County defence.
Derby County returned to the Championship last month following a 2-0 victory over Carlisle United on the final day.
The Rams are now embarking on a squad overhaul this summer with the club announcing six players will depart once their contracts expire in June.
With Paul Warne previously describing this Championship as the hardest he’s seen in years, the 51-year-old has outlined his ambition to improve every year in his squad.
Attacking reinforcements are his priority after watching the Rams score the joint-fewest goals (78) of teams that finished in the top six while top scorer James Collins only ended on 14 goals.
Defensively, upgrades aren’t as pressing with Eiran Cashin’s and Curtis Nelson’s outstanding partnership continuing to flourish, although there is one free agent that may catch his eye.
READ MORE: Derby County star Eiran Cashin’s journey from almost released to Premier League transfer interest
Derby County should move for Norwich free agent Ben Gibson
Derby may have boasted the league’s strongest defence last term, conceding just 37 goals, but their depth in that position is alarming.
The Rams have three senior centre-backs; Cashin, Nelson and Sonny Bradley, while academy graduate Jake Rooney needs a loan spell out of Pride Park.
This should serve as a reminder to Warne that he needs another one or two options at the back and Ben Gibson – who has recently been released by Norwich – is a player Derby should be looking at.
Gibson was once called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate in March 2017 following his excellent form for Middlesborough in the Premier League.
After making 204 appearances for Boro, he was snapped up by Burnley for £15 million in 2018 but that move turned out disastrous as he only made one appearance in the top flight before being sold to Norwich in 2021.
The 31-year-old has since established himself as an “outstanding” defender under David Wagner and has displayed his abilities as a ball-playing centre-back, ranking in the top 19% for passes attempted and top 11% for short pass completion.
An experienced operator at this level with 233 appearances under his belt, Gibson could provide great competition for Nelson.
Ben Gibson can rival Curtis Nelson at Derby County
Nelson enjoyed a brilliant first campaign at Pride Park, earning the club’s Player of the Year Award for his domineering performances at the back.
The former Cardiff City man will likely start in the Championship however, competition in the shape of Gibson could create an intriguing battle as to who starts next to Cashin.
Gibson is perhaps more assured on the ball than Nelson, with the former averaging a better pass completion last season by 13% (87%/74%), but the Derby man is arguably better at winning the ball back, recovering 3.9 balls per game and averaging 1.5 tackles.
A major sticking point to landing the ex-Boro defender could be his wages, as the Rams won’t be willing to pay over the odds, though if he’s willing to take a pay cut, Gibson could be perfect competition.
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