Derby County were dealt a blow last night as one of Paul Warne’s targets had his move to a Championship rival confirmed.
Derby supporters are desperate to see the club make their first signing of the summer transfer window.
Paul Warne is reportedly close to signing his first couple of players while an unnamed Premier League loan is on the agenda.
The Rams have their work cut out to survive in the Championship next campaign, particularly after watching Birmingham City get relegated on 50 points, with Warne needing ammunition in attack.
Derby finished the last League One season as the lowest scorers of sides that ended in the playoffs and to stay in the second tier, much improvements will be needed in attack.
Several players have been linked with a move to Pride Park but one name can be scratched off the list following his move to a Championship rival.
Derby County target Josh Murphy joins Portsmouth
There was much speculation over Josh Murphy’s future following Oxford United’s promotion to the second tier.
Murphy fired them there with two goals in the Play-Off final win over Bolton Wanderers however, with his contract ending, his future was in question.
This prompted links to several clubs in the Championship and we exclusively revealed that Derby were one of the sides interested in signing the 29-year-old.
The ‘wonderful’ winger did enter talks with Oxford over signing a new deal at the Kassam Stadium, although personal terms couldn’t be agreed and Murphy has since joined Portsmouth.
Pompey claimed the League One title ahead of Derby last term and the club announced his arrival at Fratton Park on Tuesday night, signing a three-year contract.
Murphy leaves the U’s after scoring 10 goals and adding six assists in all competitions last term, with the Rams missing out on his signature.
Paul Warne must now move on to other targets
There’s no time to rest in the transfer window and Derby will likely have multiple targets lined up for one position each.
It’s clear that while the Rams had the strongest defence in the league last season, going forward is where they lacked that spark and ability to kill off matches.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing carried Derby towards automatic promotion with his incredible goal and assist numbers but the 32-year-old needs some help in the final third.
After missing out on Murphy, Warne needs a Championship-proven wideman to operate on the right flank when he plays a 4-3-3 system.
The profile of the player he wants is quick, skilful and a game changer when deep into the opposing half.
There are plenty available in the market – including the impressive Karamoko Dembele – who the Rams have been linked with in recent weeks.
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