John Eustace eyes double-promotion winning Ipswich Town midfielder, he wants more experience at Derby County

Add as preferred source on Google

Derby County jet off to Austria next week for a pre-season camp in the mountains ahead of the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

On Saturday, John Eustace’s side took to the pitch for the first time since the Rams confirmed their survival on the final day of last season, with a 0-0 draw at home to Stoke City proving to be enough to stave off relegation.

With the Championship fixtures already announced, there is less than a month to go until we get underway for the new campaign and work is being done at Pride Park to ensure that Derby are not fighting at the bottom of the table next May.

Patrick Agyemang is preparing for a £5.8m move to the East Midlands, but Eustace remains keen on bringing in more players to fill the squad and they may just turn to Ipswich Town for a new midfielder.

• READ MORE – Sky Sports pundit says what he’s heard about incoming Leicester manager Marti Cifuentes, ‘to be quite honest’

Derby County target Ipswich Town’s Sam Morsy

The Rams have made four signings so far this summer, while both Liam Thompson and Craig Forsyth have signed new two-year deals.

Nevertheless, Eustace has hinted at more incomings before the Austria trip and now Alan Nixon has reported that Derby are interested in Ipswich’s Sam Morsy.

He said (via: Patreon): “Ipswich’s midfield leader Sam Morsy is fancied by John Eustace’s Derby County.

“The combative star could be on his way out of Portman Road if the right offer comes in and Eustace is a huge fan of his experience. There is also foreign interest in Morsy, who may be allowed to go as Kieran McKenna goes for promotion again.”

• READ MORE – Carlton Palmer says Sheffield Wednesday players once had a bizarre way of solving arguments, ‘it all kicked off’

John Eustace may have given up on Lewis Travis

Morsy is not the only captain that Derby have been keen on this summer, with Lewis Travis previously linked with a move to Pride Park.

However, that interest seems to have cooled and the Ipswich skipper may be the main target for Eustace now after guiding the Tractor Boys to successive promotions in 2023 and 2024.

At 34, it must be said that the Egypt international is in the closing years of his career, but this is an attribute that Derby’s boss seems to have a desire for and he could be the perfect player to feature in a holding role in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Rams have to add more quality to their midfield if they are to avoid a relegation battle next season, and Morsy may just be a cheaper option than Travis.