Derby County need to sort out Cardiff City transfer agreement ASAP: View | OneFootball

They say to never fall in love with a loan player, but Derby County fans have fallen head over heels for Cardiff City midfielder, Ebou Adams, since his arrival at Pride Park in January.

The 28-year-old has been nothing short of sensational for the Rams since his arrival from the Welsh capital, as Paul Warne's continue their push for automatic promotion from League One as the end of the campaign grows ever closer.

Having endeared himself to the Derby fans in such a short space of time, many are desperate to see the Gambia international make his move to the East Midlands permanent in the summer, but it remains to be seen what the club's transfer strategy will be until the curtain has finally closed on the end of the current season.

Ebou Adams' current contract situation at Cardiff City

Having impressed at Forest Green Rovers during their title success in the 2021/22 campaign, Adams would join the Bluebirds the following season.

The midfielder would sign a three-year deal at the Cardiff City Stadium but would endure an injury-hit first campaign with the club, suffering a clean tear of his pectoral muscle 10 minutes into his first pre-season friendly, ruling him out for six months.

Upon his return, he would suffer a knee injury which would rule him out for the remainder of the season, eventually making his Cardiff debut in a 1-1 draw against Leeds United.

He would make 11 appearances for the Welsh side at the start of this season before joining Derby for the rest of the term. Adams' contract is up at the end of the next campaign, and the Bluebirds could look to cash in this summer to avoid losing him for free next year.

Having featured for just 45 minutes during Gambia's Africa Cup of Nations campaign, in which he picked up a red card in their opening game against Senegal, Adams immediately hit the ground running in the East Midlands.

His combative midfield displays were something that was lacking in the Derby midfield, and his first four appearances resulted in the Rams picking up three wins, albeit Adams would be brandished with three yellow cards in that time.

Adams' defensive abilities have allowed Max Bird to influence the game higher up the pitch, but the Cardiff loanee has also shown he has an eye for a goal or two.

The first goal of his Rams career would come in a comfortable win over Port Vale at Pride Park. However, an important strike against Blackpool was certainly one to savour, firing an exquisite half volley from just outside the area.

Since his arrival, Derby have become more defensively solid and a lot of that has to go down to the influence of the 28-year-old within this side.

Adams transfer may have to wait following Paul Warne reveal

It was revealed last month that Warne insisted that contracts for those whose deals are up at the end of the season would not be visited until the end of the campaign, with full focus on maintaining their push for the Championship.

The Rams have 12 players on their books who will see their deals expire at Pride Park in the summer, while they will also lose Max Bird, who agreed to join Bristol City in the January window, and Adams, who will return to parent club, Cardiff.

Warne has expressed his desire to explore the option of a permanent deal for Adams ahead of next season, but given his contract situation, a fee would have to be paid.

However, given his performances this season, it should almost be a top priority for the Rams to seek a permanent deal for the midfielder, no matter what division they are in.