Derby County must fill the void that Conor Hourihane has left behind this summer, and one ‘outstanding’ Premier League talent would be a perfect replacement.
The dust has settled on Derby County’s promotion back to the Championship with manager Paul Warne ironing out his plans for the summer ahead.
Derby’s first-team squad is looking thin on the ground after letting six players leave Pride Park, including captain Conor Hourihane.
The midfield orchestrator produced 13 goal contributions in 41 League One appearances last term to help the Rams finish second.
Leaving the club to explore his options elsewhere, Hourihane is seeking a possible career in coaching once he hangs up his boots, with the 33-year-old wanting a hybrid role.
Hourihane’s departure highlights how thin on the ground Derby’s midfield is with just Tyrese Fornah, Darren Robinson and Liam Thompson to select from.
Luckily, there are plenty of options in the market to fill that void and a current Premier League midfielder should be on their radar.
Derby County should hijack a move for Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard
TEAMtalk have reported that Hull City, Plymouth, Preston and Wrexham have been linked with signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard.
The 22-year-old spent the last two campaigns on loan at Northampton and flourished in the heart of their engine room.
Leonard showed vast improvement under the management of Jon Brady, producing just one goal and one assist in their League Two promotion-winning campaign before accumulating five goals and six assists in League One.
Warne is scouring the market for a midfield metronome; a player capable of breaking the lines with their passing range and dictating proceedings in the engine room.
Hourihane did that phenomenally well during his time at Pride Park and the “outstanding” Leonard would perhaps replicate, or even surpass his success.
The Scottish playmaker created seven big chances in League One and averaged the most accurate long balls per game in the Cobblers squad (3.8), the joint-most key passes (1.5) and the most tackles (2.5).
Leonard showed he’s a cut above the rest of his Northampton teammates and is more than capable of stepping up to the Championship, hence why other second-tier sides want to sign him.
Marc Leonard would cost less than Ebou Adams
Remarkably, for a player as talented as Leonard, Brighton are only demanding a fee of £300,000 to prise him away from the AMEX.
The former Scotland under-21 international is well down the pecking order under Roberto De Zerbi and with his contract expiring in 2025, the Seagulls are looking to cash in.
At a price of just £300,000, Leonard would cost less than Derby target Ebou Adams.
The 28-year-old flourished on loan last term, and Cardiff City are demanding £500,000 to sign him permanently.
For a combined £800,000, the Rams could sign a Championship-ready midfield duo whose attributes complement each other perfectly.
Whilst Adams is a tackling machine, Leonard’s playmaking abilities and eye for goal would create the perfect blend of tenacity, energy and quality in Derby’s midfield; talent that is requisite to stay in the division.
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