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Derby County look to be closing in on their first three signings of the summer.
John Eustace has been busy over the last few weeks in the transfer market, and now his patience is finally set to pay off as the Rams finalise deals for free agents Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth, while Luton Town’s Carlton Morris is set for a medical, as per John Percy.
Derby want to renew Liam Thompson’s contract, and with things starting to progress quickly, there is a lot of optimism at Pride Park ahead of the new Championship campaign.
Fixture release day is on 26 June, and with a new striker about to come through the door in DE24, Eustace will be keen to have Morris on the right side of games in the future.
John Eustace has already faced Carlton Morris, he’ll be great for Derby County
Luton’s 1-0 win over Derby in April saw Morris fail to find the back of the net, however the striker could not be kept out when the Hatters were victors over Birmingham City back in February 2023.
Eustace was in charge of Blues back then, and he was forced to witness the 29-year-old score the winner at St. Andrew’s. However, the striker was also on the receiving end of a strong tackle from Marc Roberts – with Rob Edwards (the then Luton boss) calling for the defender to be sent off.
Eustace had a different point of view, but he was complimentary to Morris. He said (via: Birmingham Live): “I haven’t seen it back. But the big fellow up there is very competitive and very physical and I thought it was a fantastic tackle from ‘Robbo’. I didn’t think it was a yellow card.”
Derby’s manager will now get a first-hand account of the ex-Barnsley man if the deal does go through, and he will get his hands on the number nine that he has desperately needed.
Carlton Morris is a Jerry Yates upgrade
After a mixed loan spell in the 2024/25 Championship campaign, Jerry Yates looks unlikely to re-join the Rams permanently this summer and a replacement had to be found.
While it was not a poor season for the Swansea City man, he did have his fair share of issues – namely, missing chances that should have been put away.
| Stat | Carlton Morris | Jerry Yates |
|---|---|---|
| Apps (starts) | 41 (37) | 42 (40) |
| Minutes played | 3133 | 3434 |
| Goals (assists) | 8 (2) | 10 (4) |
| xG | 8.43 | 11.45 |
| Shots (on target) | 64 (28) | 58 (25) |
| Pass accuracy | 60.7% | 72.7% |
| Aerial duels won | 234 | 46 |
Morris was also not consistent. However, the two seasons prior to last proved why Eustace has decided to make a move for the striker. The 29-year-old hit double digits in the Premier League after a 20-goal Championship campaign.
Confidence will be crucial to the Cambridge-born star’s form in 2025/26, but as Eustace has done before, he can help change the trajectory of a player’s career path and in return, he will get the physicality up front that he so desires.