Derby County could sign a ‘special’ player to rival Curtis Nelson in defence, with Jose Mourinho once dubbing him ‘amazing’.
Derby finished second in League One last term and booked their place in the Championship with the league’s strongest defence.
The Rams conceded just 37 times across the 46-game campaign as the partnership of Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin blossomed into something special.
READ MORE: Derby County star Eiran Cashin’s journey from almost released to Premier League transfer interest
Paul Warne’s men head into the second tier confident that their defence can hold firm and instead will target reinforcements in midfield and attack alongside a new starting goalkeeper.
The main issue with his defence currently, though, is the lack of depth. Warne has just three senior defenders to choose from; Cashin, Nelson and Sonny Bradley, while youngster Jake Rooney could be considered as a backup option.
This calls for the Derby boss to sign another centre-back option, with one quality defender available on a free transfer.
Derby County should sign free-agent Japhet Tanganga
Japhet Tanganga was released from his contract at Tottenham Hotspur this summer and is currently looking for a new club.
The 25-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Millwall where he made 18 appearances and scored twice.
Once labelled “amazing” by none other than Jose Mourinho – who rated him highly when he was manager of Spurs – Tanganga is currently wanted by multiple clubs, with Millwall, Luton and now newly-promoted Parma showing an interest.
Although defence isn’t a priority for Warne, Derby should join the race for his signature as he’s perfect for what they need.
The former England under-21 international possesses an ability to defend superbly one-on-one, has the pace to recover against dangerous attackers and is excellent at reading the game.
In his brief loan spell at Millwall, he recovered 3.3 balls per game, and made the joint-most interceptions in the Lions squad (1.4), evincing his quality to defend key situations.
Why Japhet Tanganga could rival Curtis Nelson
Interest from Serie A side Parma could put a spanner in the works for any Championship side trying to secure a deal however, for Derby, Tanganga could be the perfect rival for Nelson.
Warne had joy with a back three towards the end of the campaign and Nelson took his place on the right, a position that the “special” Tanganga could occupy.
The 30-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign at Pride Park but providing him competition defensively could elevate his performances to new heights.
Currently, his place in the team isn’t at risk, though a move for Tanganga – or someone of a similar mould – would give him the incentive to keep a starting jersey.
The former Tottenham defender showed he has the potential to be one of the best defenders in the Championship, ranking in the top 3% for blocks and top 15% for aerials won, so signing him on a free transfer would be a steal.
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