Derby now want to sign a player who Nottingham Forest sold for peanuts back in July 2019.
The Garibaldi’s bitter rivals are looking to strengthen after winning promotion to the Championship, and have set their sights on a player who made well over 100 appearances for Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
So, who are Derby hoping to sign? Let’s take a look…
Derby want Nottingham Forest academy graduate Ben Osborn
A story from The Sun now claims that Derby want to sign Ben Osborn – five years on from his departure at Nottingham Forest.
The Reds sold the 29-year-old to Sheffield United for a sum of £3m back in 2019 after he racked up 230 appearances in total for Nottingham Forest.
Osborn was actually in Derby’s academy from 2002 to 2003 before moving to Nottingham Forest’s youth setup, where he spent a decade from 2003 to 2013, ultimately making his senior debut that year.
Now, the man born in Derby could cross over into enemy territory, to help the Rams adjust to life back in the Championship.
Watford are also keen to sign Osborn following his release at Sheffield United, where he made 24 Premier League appearances last season – providing two assists.
29-year-old could join exclusive club
Not many footballers have played for both Nottingham Forest and Derby, so Osborn could join an exclusive club this summer in doing so.
Previously, only a handful of players have done this, including the likes of Robert Earnshaw, Dexter Blackstock, Darryl Powell, Lars Bohinen and Lee Camp.
Of course, Brian Clough also famously took over at Nottingham Forest in 1975 – two years after leaving Derby in 1973.
Furthermore, the legendary Archie Gemmill actually joined Nottingham Forest directly from Derby, becoming the only player to re-sign for the Rams having initially left Pride Park for the City Ground.
Technically speaking, as Osborn signed academy terms with Derby before joining Nottingham Forest’s youth team, he would arguably become the second player after Gemmill to do just that if the Rams manage to secure his signature this summer.
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