Derby County face big decisions with the 9 players set to leave Pride Park next year | OneFootball

The Rams have several players out of contract at the end of the season, and have big decisions to make over whether they should stay or go.

Derby County have enjoyed an excellent start to the season and look to be among the teams aiming for a mid-table finish in the Championship.

Performances on the pitch have been impressive for a side working on a smaller budget compared to clubs around them and Paul Warne has been able to form great relationships with his players that are showing in the style of football that they play.

However, the Rams boss has some huge decisions to make in the coming months as player contracts begin to come to an end and Derby have several deals that need to be worked through before the end of the campaign.

Football League World has taken a look at all nine of the Rams' squad who are due to leave in the summer if nothing is worked out before then, and what decisions should be made.

Rohan Luthra

Keep

Derby's third-choice keeper, Rohan Luthra, only joined ahead of this season, and while his contract is a short-term one, it is one that should be extended just to keep the continuity with the club's goalkeeping team.

The 22-year-old is capable of helping out on the bench when needed, but his work is mostly done at the training ground, and it does not seem necessary for the Rams to go out searching for another shot-stopper next year.

Kane Wilson

Keep

Kane Wilson's contract must be renewed as quickly as possible. The right-back has been a joy to watch since moving to Pride Park at the start of last season from Bristol City, and with Ryan Nyambe out for the next four to six months, it's a position that he should keep.

A three-year deal for the 24-year-old would be just reward for his progress so far in a Derby shirt, and he is another of the Rams' players who is the future of the club.

Curtis Nelson

Keep

It feels like a matter of when, not if, when it comes to renewing Curtis Nelson's deal.

The centre-back has been an ever-present since joining before the start of Derby's promotion campaign. He is a fan's favourite at Pride Park thanks to his calmness defensively, and ability to pop up with a goal occasionally.

A new two-year deal would be more than acceptable for the 30-year-old, who has been excellent in black-and-white, to match the contract he signed on his arrival at the club.

Sonny Bradley

Sonny Bradley had a decent first year at Derby, but this season has been a tough one for the centre-back who is now the fourth-choice centre-back at Pride Park.

Decent on his day, it seems unlikely that Bradley's contract will be extended as he will be nearly 34 by the time the 2025/26 campaign begins after signing on a two-year deal in July 2023. Nevertheless, he can be useful when needed for the rest of this season.

Craig Forsyth

Leave

It is hard to judge what will happen to Craig Forsyth at the end of his current deal, but it can be said he will go down as a modern-day club legend either way.

With over 300 appearances to his name for the club, nobody epitomises Derby quite like the 35-year-old at the moment, but his playing days are coming to an end.

It would be surprising if he is given an extension for another year, as it is clear that he is starting to slow down. This could be his final season at the club, as retirement is likely round the corner, but it must be stated just how much of an asset he has been to the Rams since joining in 2013.

Liam Thompson

Keep

If Warne and David Clowes do not offer Liam Thompson a new contract it would be a huge surprise, particularly as he is a one-of-a-kind player in this talented squad.

At just 22, the academy graduate has a long career ahead of him, and Derby must make sure that he signs a new deal to help build him into the player that he has the promise to be.

Injuries have meant that his game time has been limited recently, and while this could be a worry, the East Midlands club should be able to work around them.

They triggered his one-year extension in the summer, but a more permanent solution is now necessary.

Tom Barkhuizen

Leave

Tom Barkhuizen's first two years at Pride Park were decent, but he has struggled this season to lock down a place in the starting XI, and a calf injury has meant that he has been out of the squad since the start of September.

Similar to Thompson, the 31-year-old triggered an extension in the summer, extending his stay for another year.

While he is getting closer to coming back, the strength of Derby's other wingers, Corey Blackett-Taylor, Kayden Jackson, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, means that he will find minutes hard to come by, and the former Preston North End man may search for an exit even before his contract expires.

Conor Washington

Leave

Conor Washington's time in DE24 looks extremely likely to be coming to an end very soon, with the striker struggling with fitness issues for the majority of his time in black-and-white, signing for the club at the same time as Bradley.

The ex-Rotherham United forward has not managed to stake a claim in the starting XI throughout his first 15 months with the club, and like Barkhuizen, a move in January seems likely.

The Rams should not renew his deal after a difficult year.

James Collins

One of the first signings of the new era, James Collins' goals helped fire the Rams to promotion last season, but since then he has been a bit-part player.

Useful off the bench, it makes sense for this to be the 33-year-old's last year as a Derby player, but that should not take away from his efforts.

Collins renewed his deal at the end of last season for another year, but it is difficult to see him offered a similar one by the time June rolls around, as he is just not involved enough now to warrant it.

The striker will be remembered for his volley against Carlisle United for a long time, but next summer seems the right time to part ways.