The winners and losers at Derby County as John Eustace looks to reunite with Callum Brittain

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Derby County are making waves in the summer transfer window.

After Carlton Morris passed his medical and signed for the club last week, three more signings arrived in the East Midlands on Tuesday.

Danny Batth, who called John Eustace ‘outstanding’ on arrival, Andreas Weimann and Richard O’Donnell were all announced on the same day, with the Rams strengthening in multiple departments ahead of the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

However, in a new twist, Derby are showing an interest in another Blackburn Rovers player, Callum Brittain, and EFL Analysis has taken a look at two winners and two losers if they work a deal with the Lancashire side.

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Winners and losers at Derby County if Callum Brittain signs

Winner – Danny Batth

According to reports and as confirmed to EFL Analysis by our Chief Football Correspondent, Graeme Bailey, Brittain is liked by the Rams but Middlesbrough and other clubs are also interested.

However, after Batth signed for Derby earlier this week, the full-back would do well at Pride Park and linking back up with his former teammate would hugely benefit if Brittain did reunite with Eustace.

The two helped propel Rovers towards the play-offs last season, and while they narrowly missed out on the top six, the pair helped make the team much more defensively solid and coming back together in the East Midlands would only be beneficial.

Loser – Ryan Nyambe

Competition always helps bring the best out of players, but for Ryan Nyambe there are already enough players vying for his position and with Kane Wilson already the first-choice at right-back, another player coming in ahead of him in the pecking order will be an issue.

The Namibia international will miss the first game of the season after fitness problems at the end of the last campaign and getting his place back in the team will be tough.

Brittain had his share of injury issues in 2024/25, but the attacking threat that he possesses compared to Nyambe does hand him a huge advantage for that position.

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Winner – John Eustace

Perhaps an obvious one, but nobody will be happier than John Eustace to see the 27-year-old make his way to Derby if a deal does come off.

The turnaround the Rams had following Paul Warne’s sacking was clear to see, and if their head coach can bring in players that he had a measure of success with at Blackburn, then they will only benefit from it.

A mid-table finish is the goal for next season and Brittain adds further depth to the defence at Pride Park, which is still needed. Eustace got the best out of the former Barnsley man during his time at Ewood and you would expect the same in DE24.

Loser – Joe Ward

Another right-back, well more of a wing-back, Joe Ward has found life tough since joining Derby ahead of the 2023/24 season.

An attacking and adventurous player, on his day the 29-year-old is a talent but he has found it tough to maintain his fitness throughout his time as a Ram and he played just seven league games in the Championship following promotion.

Ward is probably most at risk of being replaced if Brittain does make the switch, and he may be keeping his options open this summer.