Paul Warne needs to improve almost every position at Derby County, including at left wing-back, where he could find an alternative for Louie Sibley.
It’s been over a month since Derby announced who would be leaving and staying at Pride Park beyond the 2023/24 campaign.
Paul Warne released six first-team players, including Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith and Joe Wildsmith, while offering new contracts to top scorer James Collins and academy graduate Louie Sibley.
With their deals set to expire at the end of this month, there is still no update on their futures and that suggests negotiations have taken a turn for the worse, or the player is taking an age to make a decision.
For Sibley, this period is a massive one as he’s been at the club for 14 years, joining as an eight-year-old in their academy and working his way towards first-team stardom.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign at Pride Park, transitioning into a left wing-back role and as a result, attracted interest from League One outfit Rotherham United.
Regardless of whether Sibley departs, Warne could invest in a new left-back to replace the Englishman or challenge him for a place in the side.
Paul Warne should look at Crewe Alexandra’s Rio Adebisi
A product of Crewe Alexandra’s youth setup, Rio Adebisi is one of a long list of talents to have graduated through their esteemed academy.
An attacking left-back by trade, the 23-year-old truly rose to prominence at Crewe during the 2023/24 campaign as he seriously impressed with his attacking output, scoring four and assisting eight in 54 appearances.
Adebisi was ever-present on the left side of the defence and manager Lee Bell dubbed his performances as “terrific”, with the Englishman excelling as an outlet defensively and going forward.
In Warne’s interchangeable 3-5-2 system, he would be perfect for the left wing-back role as the addition of a third centre-half gives him the license to drive forward at pace and fire ammunition into the box – two attributes he’s great at.
Adebisi’s performances helped inspire Crewe to a sixth-place finish in League Two, and although they lost in the play-off final to Crawley, the youngster earned his flowers and now deserves a move higher up the pyramid.
With his contract expiring on June 30, Derby could potentially pick a bargain up on a free transfer.
What role Rio Adebisi would play at Derby County
Warne is well stocked for left-backs at Derby with Callum Elder, Craig Forsyth and Sibley available to choose from.
Removing the context from the situation, though, and the Rams could do with a long-term option. 35-year-old Forsyth sees his contract expire in 2025, Elder isn’t a Championship level full back and Sibley could yet depart this summer.
That’s why a move for Adebisi – someone with age on his side – would make perfect sense.
At first, it’s unlikely he’d be a regular starter but as the season goes on, the Englishman would surely get a chance to impress and that is where he can showcase his special talent.
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