How Patrick Agyemang got on for the USA in the Gold Cup final ahead of £5.8m Derby County move, he’ll be crestfallen

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Patrick Agyemang is seemingly just days away from making his way to England to join Derby County.

After John Percy reported on Friday that the Rams are set to secure a £5.8m deal for the American this week, excitement has started to build throughout the city on social media.

There will be fears over the fee Derby are paying for Agyemang, but John Eustace has given the green light for the deal to go ahead and supporters must trust their manager ahead of the first Championship fixtures of 2025/26.

The deal has been delayed by the USA’s progression in the Gold Cup, and following Sunday’s final, EFL Analysis has taken a look at the 24-year-old’s performance against Mexico.

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Patrick Agyemang’s Gold Cup final performance ahead of Derby County move

It was a great start to the tournament for the striker, as he scored twice in his first three games as his nation eased through the group stages in Canada and the United States.

While these proved to be his only two goals ahead of his Derby move, Agyemang can make things happen, something that Tim Howard has noticed, and that made him a real threat throughout the knockout stages.

However, his team’s form soon ran out as they met Mexico in the final. Crystal Palace defender Carlos Richards headed in the opener inside the first four minutes, but a failure to get their striker into the game proved costly.

Agyemang had the fewest number of touches (22) throughout the entire 90 minutes, yet he was fouled more than any other player (5). He had just one shot, but was able to create two chances despite his lack of involvement while the 24-year-old also won nine of his 15 duels.

Mexico fought back quickly, with Raul Jimenez equalising in the first-half as he paid tribute to former Wolves teammate Diogo Jota while celebrating his goal. Edson Alvarez then won the Gold Cup 13 minutes from time with an instinctive header from close range.

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Getting service for Patrick Agyemang will be crucial

After such a difficult game for the striker, it is abundantly clear what Derby must do once Agyemang makes his way to Pride Park.

Getting the ball into his feet or just in front of him to run onto is vital. The Charlotte FC man will make things happen, but he needs his teammates to give him support.

Carlton Morris can help him with this, and if Derby do play with two strikers, then they will be a genuine threat in the Championship. However, Sunday evening did prove that the American is ineffective if you do not play to his strengths and Eustace must work around this.