"Connections with Paul Warne" - Derby County told to target Sheffield Wednesday deal and two others | OneFootball

We asked our Derby County fan pundit where his side need to strengthen in the January transfer window

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County have been told to strengthen in three positions in January, with Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith earmarked as a potential addition.

Smith was in Sheffield Wednesday's starting XI as they beat Derby at Pride Park recently, and the 33-year-old is well-known to Rams boss Paul Warne, having worked with him at Rotherham United previously.

Derby have been linked with a move for Smith before, and the experienced striker also attracted interest from Wrexham in the summer, so they may face a battle to sign him in January.

While Smith started the Owls' trip to Derby on Sunday, he's not been a regular starter, just starting five of their 18 Championship games, and Warne will hope that's enough to convince Danny Rohl to part ways with him in January.

Derby County January transfer demands outlined

We asked our Derby County fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, about how many players he feels his side need to sign in January, and whether there are any players, in particular, he'd be keeping tabs on.

Speaking to Football League World, he said: "I think Derby desperately need a striker. A focal point up front, someone who can occupy centre-halves and help out Jerry Yates.

“Michael Smith from Sheffield Wednesday is the obvious one thanks to his connections with Paul Warne and when he came off for Sheffield Wednesday they looked better, so that could be a sign for us that he’s not in their plans moving forward.

“But someone like him coming in would definitely help us, and potentially a right-back as well because Ryan Nyambe’s out for a long period of time and I think that weakens us.

“Kane Wilson isn’t a right-back, he’s much more comfortable further forward, and I think at the moment we’re a bit unbalanced at the back. We’ve got quite a defensive-minded left side, but no one to replace Nyambe other than Wilson, who is more of a winger, so I think a right-back would be beneficial to give us balance if Nyambe isn’t going to be back for a while.

“If David Ozoh’s fitness is a concern, potentially someone to come in to the middle to do his job and potentially another young Premier League loanee because we really have missed him in that engine room.

“So for me, a centre-forward, a right-back and a central midfielder depending on Ozoh’s fitness.”

Michael Smith would be a shrewd addition for Derby County in January

Smith possesses a wealth of experience and having played 210 games for Rotherham United, Warne definitely knows how to get the best out of the 33-year-old.

Even this season, while he's not started too often for Wednesday, he's still scored four goals and registered four assists, showing he's still got plenty to give despite his age.

At 6'3" he offers a physical presence that could help to bully defenders, and he could work well alongside Jerry Yates, who offers pace in behind and something different.

Smith is out of contract at Hillsborough in the summer, and it remains to be seen whether he'll be offered a new deal given his age and lack of starts, so a January move for the striker seems to make perfect sense and Warne can certainly get the best out of him.