Derby County should line up Reading FC transfer as January interest swells: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Derby County are expected to be a very busy side in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Rams have had a very up-and-down season so far, but with four wins on the bounce in the league, they will hope it is the start of a real promotion push.

The Rams were extremely busy in the summer with arrivals and departures, and with Paul Warne likely keen to further strengthen his side, January may just be as hectic.

Warne will hope focus can remain on which players are coming into the club rather than who is leaving, as defender Eiran Cashin is someone who is attracting plenty of transfer interest.

Could Eiran Cashin leave Derby County in January?

Cashin has been a player who has had a rise in stock in the last couple of seasons, as he’s continued to impress for Derby under their various circumstances.

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion were knocked back a few times over the summer, with one of their deals reportedly being near the £4 million mark.

But, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Brighton are not the only side interested in a deal for the Republic of Ireland international.

The Seagulls face competition from fellow Premier League sides West Ham, Burnley, and Sheffield United. While Championship sides Birmingham City and Middlesbrough are also keen on the young central defender.

The defender is out of contract at Derby in the summer, and unless a new contract is agreed, the Rams are aware they will likely have to sell Cashin before he leaves for nothing.

So, with that being possible, Derby will need to find suitable replacements, and they could be very wise in looking at Reading FC’s Nelson Abbey.

Why should Derby County target Nelson Abbey as Eiran Cashin’s replacement?

Derby will be trying to hold out for a decent fee for Cashin, but whatever they get for the player, it is unlikely they are going to use all of that for his replacement.

So that means they are going to have to be sensible when it comes to finding the right player, but Abbey at Reading may be the perfect addition, as Derby could take advantage of the Royals’ financial issues.

Reading FC may need to move some players on in January as they still try to secure a new owner, and given how well Abbey has been performing this season, he could be looked at by several clubs.

The 20-year-old has played 22 times for Reading in all competitions, with 15 of those appearances coming in League One this season.

He has started 14 of those games, playing 1,306 minutes of league football. During which he has had 71.1 touches of the ball, with him collecting 0.1 key passes. He has an accurate passing rate per game of 75%, with his accuracy in the opposition half being 49%, showing his comfortability on the ball wherever he is, as per SofaScore.com.

Abbey has helped Reading keep two clean sheets when he has been on the pitch, as well as averaging 1.1 interceptions per game, 1.1 tackles, and 6.5 balls recovered. The young defender has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per game and has averaged 4.0 clearances per game, as per SofaScore.com.

Abbey has won 50% of his duals, with 54% coming on the ground and 47% coming in the air. The defender is so far averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.60 in League One.

Obviously, Abbey is probably a year or two behind Cashin in terms of development, but he has all the attributes to do very well in the game, and he looks to be a similar type of defender to what they currently have in Cashin.

Abbey may need some time adapting, but he would be a very good addition, with his brilliance on and off the ball as well as the leadership skills he has already shown. The Rams would be getting a centre-back who can come into the team now, but also someone who will be there for years to come.