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Derby County remain keen on bringing in centre-backs this summer.
After Danny Batth departed Blackburn Rovers for the Rams, the East Midlands outfit looked to have found enough cover in the heart of their defence.
The major focus in this transfer window has been on bringing more goals to Pride Park, with Paul Warne praising his former club for signing Carlton Morris while Patrick Agyemang has joined for £5.8m.
Derby’s pursuit of Kamil Conteh has slowed, but they still have a chance of signing the Bristol Rovers man. Nevertheless, its rivals Bristol City who John Eustace is looking at now, with an academy graduate at Ashton Gate a target.
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Derby County submit £1m bid for Zak Vyner
According to Sky Sports, the Rams have submitted a £1m bid for Robins defender Zak Vyner after the 28-year-old played every single minute in the Championship last season.
He has made 234 appearances for the club since coming through the academy, but he is entering the final year of his contract at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City, who have signed both Jason Knight and Max Bird from Derby in the last two years, are expected to reject the bid.
Nevertheless, it is clear to see that Eustace is keen on bringing in another centre-back for the new campaign with Sondre Langas expected to miss the first weeks of the season, while West Brom beat the Rams to the signing of Nat Phillips.
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Curtis Nelson’s future will be up for debate
With another defender on Derby’s shortlist, questions will be asked as to what this means for Curtis Nelson.
Ever-present in the Rams’ promotion campaign in 2023/24, he suffered an ACL injury at the start of 2025 and has not featured for the team since. However, he was with the squad in Austria in pre-season.
At 28, Vyner is four years younger than the ex-Plymouth Argyle ace and this could be on Eustace’s mind with the majority of the early signings this summer at Derby already over 30.
A back three could be an option once again if the Bristol City man does make the switch to Pride Park, and given the fact that the Rams have struggled to sign a winger as of now, this is a real possibility.