Al-Hamadi joins: Derby County's best and worst case transfer scenarios in January | OneFootball

The Rams have returned to the Championship in a competitive manner, but Paul Warne will be looking forward to January to help bolster his squad.

Derby County have a fantastic start to the new Championship campaign, and have pushed themselves into mid-table after the first few months of the season.

While their home form has taken a slight dip compared to their opening three games at Pride Park, they continue to be difficult to beat on their own patch, and Paul Warne should be commended for working with what he has.

However, away from home, the Rams have left a lot to be desired, and although there has been a slight up-turn in form, supporters may have been hoping for slightly more from their team so far.

Nevertheless, the start to the campaign has perhaps exceeded what fans may have believed was possible, and Derby have set themselves up for a very good winter if they carry on at their current rate.

But, slight improvements are needed, and Warne will be hoping that he can strengthen his squad in January, without facing too many hits throughout the transfer window. Football League World has taken a look at four situations that could have a positive or negative impact on the Rams at the start of 2025.

Best - New investor comes in

While David Clowes' ownership has been a huge success for Derby, it is evident that he is not prepared to provide the backing that is needed to take the club to the next level.

Although this is not a signing, if a new investor does come in either ahead of January, or in the month itself, then it gives the Rams the opportunity to bring in players of a higher quality and potentially spend an amount that is closer to their rivals.

The saviour of the club, Clowes, has been seeking someone to bring in new funding to the club since September, and currently there has been no further update on the search, but it does seem as though someone will come in ahead of the next transfer window.

Derby have been able to compete excellently despite their lack of financial strength so far, but as the season heats up, there will be a need to bring in more bodies with more quality to help them wade off any pressure from the relegation scrap.

Worst - Eiran Cashin is sold

Despite the positive feeling surrounding Pride Park currently, there will still be a fear that Eiran Cashin could be the target of Premier League interest once again in the next transfer window.

The centre-back has been superb this season in black-and-white, with the Rams' vice-captain quickly adapting back to the Championship, nearly three years since making his debut in the division in his side's relegation campaign.

But, with good things comes consequences, and the consequence of the 22-year-old's fantastic performances in 2024/25 means that he could attract interest from those higher up the pyramid than Derby.

Brighton & Hove Albion tried extremely hard to bring Cashin to the AMEX Stadium in the summer of 2023, missing out on the defender before his contract was extended until 2027. However, they, or another top flight club may come back in and take a look at his availability in January.

Warne must deny any chance of his young ace leaving the club this winter, and keep hold of one of the Championship's best centre-backs.

Best - Ali Al-Hamadi joins on loan

The Rams do currently have four strikers on their books in Conor Washington, Dajaune Brown, James Collins and Jerry Yates, but they are struggling for goals from their forward-line currently, and bringing in a striker with a proven goal-scoring record is a must.

Ali Al-Hamadi is not getting the minutes that he may have anticipated he would have got at Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Premier League, and a loan back to the Championship could be in order to get him playing regularly again.

Derby would benefit massively from a player of his quality, with the 22-year-old scoring four goals in just 281 minutes last season after joining from AFC Wimbledon in January 2024.

It's been a difficult few months for Al-Hamadi, but Pride Park could be the place where his career gets back on track, and he gets the time on the pitch that he needs to develop himself as a striker.

It seemed as though the Rams had targeted the Iraq international in the summer, with BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich revealing that the forward was not going to end up in DE24. He wrote on X: "From what I understand, Ali Al-Hamadi won’t be going to Derby County at this stage. Still a couple of hours to go for a striker if they can. #DCFC"

Nevertheless, this could be the perfect opportunity to get Al-Hamadi in, and get him scoring to help Warne's side in their fight to stay mid-table.

Worst - Conor Washington stays

Washington's Derby career has been a difficult time for both player and club. A lack of fitness has seen him miss out on the matchday squad throughout the 2024/25 campaign, while an ankle injury saw him lose a lot of his early season momentum after joining the club in the summer of 2023.

Three goals in 19 appearances in the league have seen him dropped to become the Rams' fourth-choice striker, and it seems extremely unlikely that he will move from that position any time soon, particularly after Brown's first professional goal.

Many perhaps expected the 32-year-old to leave Pride Park at the start of the season, but seemingly no suitor could be found, and he has continued to be an after-thought in Warne's plans.

The Rams must find a way to free up a space in the squad to bring in a striker like Al-Hamadi, and loaning out Washington must be seen as a target of theirs if they cannot find a permanent solution.

His contract is due to expire at the end of this season, and it will bring to an end an underwhelming stay in black-and-white if Derby cannot move him on beforehand.