Derby County desperately need some attacking reinforcements if they are to avoid relegation next season.
Derby County won automatic promotion last month, but it certainly wasn’t easy.
A number of injuries and lack of depth in their frontline made their bid for promotion especially more difficult, with James Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing proving to be key assets.
There are question marks over how well the Rams’ attack can do in the Championship though,resulting in links to the likes of Josh Murphy and Alfie May.
They have been linked with a number of players who impressed in League One last term, and while it is unclear whether they could make the step up, one player who would surely make a positive impact in the Championship is Karamoko Dembele.
Football Insider have recently claimed that Derby are interested in signing the winger, who has just returned to Brest after picking up eight goals and 13 assists whilst on loan at Blackpool.
The former Celtic wonder-kid hit the headlines when he was a teenager after bursting onto the scene in Scotland, but he had since endured a dramatic decline and ended up in France.
He now looks to have reignited his career in the third tier and has now attracted interest from a host of clubs in the EFL and Premier League, with the Rams being one of them.
Karamoko Dembele could keep Derby County up
While it would unsurprisingly be a tough race to win, signing Dembele could be a real game-changer for Paul Warne‘s side.
The‘special’ 21-year-old picked up the third-most assists in League One – three less than Mendez-Laing in seven less games. He also made the fifth most key passes – just one less than the Derby attacker.
Dembele looks to be back to his best after a rough period and it is clear that the next step for him is the Championship, having outplayed most of his opposition for the Seasiders.
Dembele would thrive off being the main man at a club with relatively low expectations, while he will be well aware that a positive campaign could attract the attention of clubs in the top flight.
The 21-year-old could be Mendez-Laing’s apprentice
While Mendez-Laing promises experience and leadership, having a younger, exciting partner could benefit them both significantly.
Whether it be James Collins or someone else in between them, Dembele could offer the Rams something that they struggled with last term.
Derby need ambition with their signings this summer if they are to stay up next term, and signing the young forward would be a promise of intent and a real key move for the club.
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