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Derby County spent the vast majority of the 2024/25 Championship campaign fighting for survival, with John Eustace managing to keep the team in the division on the final day of the season.
The Rams’ turnaround under Eustace has been clear to see, and now with the EFL transfer window set to open on Sunday, new signings are needed to ensure that the club’s battle is towards the top half of the table in 2025/26.
With investment seemingly just around the corner for Derby, it’s set to be an exciting summer for the East Midlands outfit and their supporters after their retained list was released earlier in May.
However, new faces will mean some of those who are already at the club will have to be let go of, and EFL Analysis has taken a look at four players who may be on their way out of Pride Park this summer either permanently or on loan.
Four Derby County players that may leave this summer
Kayden Jackson – Sell
One of the first signings of last summer, life in black-and-white has just not gone to plan for Kayden Jackson, and Eustace will surely be weighing up his options with the versatile attacker in the coming weeks.
A run of three goals in three home games at the start of the season was something of a false dawn for the former Ipswich Town man, and he went on to find the back of the net just one more time in 2024/25.
Similar to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, the Rams need to move on from those who have struggled to perform on a consistent basis in the last nine months, and a move away must be sought for the 31-year-old.
Dajaune Brown – Loan
The 2024/25 campaign was not quite the breakthrough year that Dajaune Brown would have wished for, but there were signs of promise from the young striker before his season was ended early through injury.
He got off the mark in senior football with an outstanding header against Hull City while Paul Warne was in charge, but failed to threaten too much afterwards before spending the last few months of the campaign on the sidelines.
After impressing on loan with Gateshead in the National League in 2023/24, a loan to a club in League One could be the perfect way for Brown to get consistent football as Derby may not be able to give him that.
Jake Rooney – Loan
Jake Rooney has not kicked a ball in anger for the Rams’ senior team since September 2023, with significant knee injuries halting his progress following a strong first year in the East Midlands.
The cousin of former Derby County boss Wayne Rooney, the defender has not had the rub of the green in the last couple of seasons and a loan away for the first half of the upcoming campaign could be the perfect way for him to show Eustace his talents.
Nat Phillips is a target of the Rams, and if he does come back to Pride Park, then the defence will be tough to break into for Rooney and he will be looking for an opportunity to play football sooner rather than later.
Joe Ward – Sell
Another Ram who struggled with his fitness last season, Joe Ward has found it tough to break into the starting XI throughout his time at Pride Park.
The wing-back has shown flickers of excitement over the last two years, but he has never been able to carry forward any momentum due to injuries, and he missed the majority of 2024/25 due to another problem.
On his day, Ward has the potential to be a huge threat on the right flank, but with Kane Wilson and Ryan Nyambe already at the club, the ex-Peterborough United great may look for a move away in the summer as he searches for game time.