Having secured promotion back to England's second tier after two seasons in League One, Derby County look set to use their Championship status to bring a number of fresh faces to Pride Park.
Rams set for rebuild ahead of Championship return
As is typical for sides promoted to the Championship, Derby look eager to use the transfer window to boost their squad and get it ready for a return to the second tier.
Derby struck gold signing maverick who would be worth £11m in 2024 money
Derby County pulled off a coup when they signed this enigmatic star.
ByKelan SarsonMay 25, 2024
The Rams' recent retained list saw a number of fan favourites depart the club at the end of their deals. Derby captain Conor Hourihane is the headline of this list after the 33-year-old scored six goals in his side's promotion campaign. Another notable exit is that of Dwight Gayle, who scored three goals for the Rams last season.
Derby County Retained List 2023/24
First-team players leaving the club
Dwight Gayle
Conor Hourihane
Scott Loach
Corey Smith
Martyn Waghorn
Joe Wildsmith
First-team players at the end of loans
Ebou Adams
Max Bird
Tyreece John-Jules
With a large number of players departing Pride Park this summer, the Rams will have to move quickly to get their squad ready for a return to the Championship. With this in mind, it appears that they already have a couple of high-profile targets in their sights.
Attacking duo at the top of Derby's wishlist
As first reported by DerbyshireLive, it appears that the Rams are eyeing up moves for Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark and Oxford United star Josh Murphy. The outlet suggests that "promotion has served Derby with the bonus of being open to a better standard of player". This means that Derby will have greater prowess in the transfer market, putting them in a better position to secure a deal for Clark, who they had a previous loan swoop rejected for.
At just 19 years of age, Clark would be an interesting prospect for Derby with the England youth international using his limited cameos at Liverpool to showcase his quality. The midfielder made 24 appearances across various age groups for the Reds last season, contributing four goals and six assists.
The best of Clark's outings was in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, with the teenager grabbing a goal and an assist in the 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague. Having proven his quality at the highest level, there is no doubt that Clark would be an excellent coup for Derby.
Josh Murphy is the second player cited and is one that the Rams' faithful will be familiar with. The Oxford winger exploded into life in the second half of the League One season, capping off his six-goal league campaign with a brace in the playoff final.
After pretty much single-handedly carrying Oxford United to the Championship, there is no doubt that Murphy's profile has been raised over recent months. With Derby coach Paul Warne admitting his admiration for the player since late 2022, the Rams will now face far stiffer competition for his signature than he would have at the time.
Regardless of whether these two particular deals get over the line, it is almost certain that Derby's status as a Championship club will bring some exciting players to Pride Park this summer.