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It’s the summer and in football that means one thing – transfers. Derby County are preparing for their second successive Championship campaign, and they have a squad that needs improving quickly.
The Rams are waiting on investment, while David Clowes hired a new Chief Financial Officer in recent weeks and John Eustace will be hoping for plenty of backing before the September 1 deadline.
The transfer window re-opens on June 16, and Derby need plenty of incomings to help them move up the table in 2025/26 after they were forced to fight against relegation until the final day of the campaign previously.
EFL Analysis have picked out five players who Eustace must sign this summer as the Rams prepare for a huge season of Championship football.
Five players who John Eustace must sign for Derby County
Harrison Armstrong – Everton
Harrison Armstrong had a stunning loan with Derby in the 2024/25 campaign after he moved from Everton on deadline day in February.
After a slow start, the midfielder became a crucial part of Eustace’s team once Paul Warne was sacked, and he worked incredibly well together with Ebou Adams and Liam Thompson.
Armstrong is open to a return to the Rams, but Everton are making Derby wait in their hunt for the teenager and it may take longer than hoped to bring the 18-year-old back to the East Midlands for a full year.
Fabio Jalo – Barnsley
From one familiar face to another who few will know about, Fabio Jalo is starting to show some of his potential at Barnsley in League One with last season a breakout year for the Portuguese teenager.
Derby need wingers, especially now that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has departed for MK Dons and Tom Barkhuizen has left as a free agent. Their options are very limited in that position.
At 19, Jalo is full of potential and while he may take a little bit of time to get up to speed, a full pre-season would benefit him greatly and Eustace would be able to get the very best out of him on the left flank.
Will Lankshear – Tottenham Hotspur
Strikers will be the priority for the Rams this summer, as it looks unlikely that Jerry Yates will return to Pride Park following his loan in 2024/25.
Eustace still needs to get the average age of this team down, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Will Lankshear would be an excellent choice to help bring a different kind of edge to the forward line as Lars-Jorgen Salvesen gets closer to returning from injury.
The 20-year-old did not have the easiest of rides at West Bromwich Albion last season, failing to score in 11 appearances. However, a full campaign in the Championship will allow him to settle quicker and get the chances he needs in to show off his talents.
Tyrhys Dolan – Blackburn Rovers
Perhaps a player whose transfer to Derby feels a matter of when not if this summer, Tyrhys Dolan looks very likely to leave Blackburn Rovers at the end of his contract in June.
The winger, who can also play in an attacking midfield role, has a very good relationship with Eustace following their time together at Ewood Park with his former head coach ‘believing’ in him when others had not.
Dolan had an excellent campaign last time out, scoring seven goals and registering six assists in 44 appearances. The Rams need a threat from out wide, and the 23-year-old can provide exactly that.
Nat Phillips – Liverpool
The final player that Eustace must recruit this summer is another who he is familiar with. Nat Phillips, like Armstrong, had a very successful loan spell with Derby last season and the centre-back must return.
Phillips is set to leave Liverpool this summer, and a permanent deal suits the Rams more than another loan. Alongside Sondre Langas and Matt Clarke, who signed a new contract with the East Midlands outfit in May, the 28-year-old played a crucial role in keeping the club in the Championship.
Handing him a permanent home will allow the defender to flourish and he has all the makings to become a key player in DE24.