Derby County could have secured a transfer masterstroke with Swansea City deal: View | OneFootball

Derby County have signed a striker on loan from Swansea City.

Derby County have added to their striking options ahead of their return to the Championship.

The Rams won promotion back to the second tier after finishing second in League One last season.

It is the fourth time that Derby boss Paul Warne has achieved promotion from the division, having done so on three occasions with his former club, Rotherham United.

However, Warne will hope that he can survive in the Championship for the first time in his career with Derby.

The 51-year-old has been busy adding to his squad in recent weeks, with three new additions having arrived at Pride Park.

Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Osborn has joined the club on a free transfer from Sheffield United, and forward Kayden Jackson has signed for the Rams after his Ipswich Town contract came to an end.

Warne has also brought in Swansea City striker Jerry Yates on a loan deal until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Jerry Yates has joined Derby County on loan

Yates has joinedDerby on a season-long loan from fellow Championship side Swansea.

The 27-year-old has scored 30 goals in the Championship across the last three seasons for Swansea and Blackpool. He also scored 21 goals in League One as the Tangerines won promotion via the play-offs during the 2020/21 campaign.

Yates signed for Swansea from Blackpool last summer for an undisclosed fee, before making 43 appearances in the second tier as the Swans finished the season in 14th place.

It appears as though he is not in Luke Williams' plans, as he has been allowed to make the temporary switch to Derby. The Rams now have Yates, Jackson, Conor Washington and James Collins as their forward options for next season in the Championship.

Jerry Yates could be a very good signing for the Rams

Derby conceded the fewest goals in League One last season, and if they can continue their solid defensive record in the Championship, then they have a good chance of having a successful season.

It is important that the Rams can score enough goals if they are going to compete in the second tier.

Yates will know that there is going to be pressure on him to be a regular source of goals next term, under a manager who focuses on defensive solidity, discipline and organisation.

The striker's movement and finishing ability can be excellent, especially when he is on a good run of form in a system that suits him. If he hits the ground running next season, Yates could turn out to be an excellent signing, especially as he did not require a transfer fee.

He may not have proven worth the cash that the Swans spent on him but nine goals is far from an awful return in the Championship for a team that were in transition and there is no doubt that the 27-year-old is a talented forward who has been prolific in the past – as his recent League One record shows.

Yates scored 23 goals in 2020/21 and 15 in 2022/23 while he offers plenty off the ball as well, which will appeal to Warne. Bringing the forward in on loan means that there is far less risk attached to the signing and the Rams will hope that it turns out to be a masterstroke once the season gets underway.

While with a Swansea contract that runs until 2026, a strong year on loan could be the precursor to a permanent move and likely at a decent fee.

It is an important season for the Rams as they look to re-establish themselves at Championship level and Yates' performances could be a key factor in whether they manage to make it a successful campaign.

If that happens, it will look a transfer masterstroke.