Derby County transfer latest: Free agent pursuit, Portsmouth/Josh Murphy news, Bristol Rovers blow | OneFootball

All the latest transfer headlines surrounding Derby County

Derby County are preparing for life back in the Championship after gaining automatic promotion from League One last season.

Paul Warne guided the team to a second-place finish, five points behind champions Portsmouth.

This was the club’s second attempt at making a return to the Championship having come seventh in the campaign previously.

The transfer window is now open, and the Derbyshire outfit will surely be looking to improve the first team squad to boost their chances of being competitive in the second tier immediately.

Clubs will have until 30th August to complete any moves, giving teams a lot of time to scope out potential targets and complete deals.

Here we look at all the latest transfer headlines surrounding Derby in their preparations for their return to the Championship…

Mathew Ryan pursuit

It has been reported by Dutch outlet AZAlerts that Mathew Ryan has emerged as a transfer target at Pride Park.

The goalkeeper has spent the last 18 months in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar but is set to become a free agent at the end of June.

This opens the door for a return to English football, having previously been with Brighton and Arsenal in the past.

The 32-year-old has made over 100 appearances in the Premier League, as well as having earned 93 caps at international level with Australia.

It remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached with Ryan over a deal, with wages potentially proving a stumbling block, but this is a deal that could get supporters quite excited for next season.

John Mousinho discusses Derby County transfer target

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has discussed his club’s potential pursuit of Derby transfer target Josh Murphy.

According to The News, Derby are among the clubs in the mix to sign Murphy this summer, if he leaves Oxford United.

The Pompey boss has discussed the 29-year-old but refused to reveal whether the newly-promoted side wants to complete a deal to bring him to Fratton Park.

“The truth on that is I know Josh, and he’s a fantastic player,” said Mousinho, via The News.

“He had a really good back end to the season but for those kind of players, whether there’s interest or not, we want to keep everything respectful of the players, other clubs and everything else going on.

“There is links with Josh because I played for him previously, but whether we’ve got any interest or not it’s something we have to leave alone and not really comment on.”

Dan Ellison disappointment

Derby have missed out on the potential signing of Dan Ellison from Chippenham Town.

According to Football Insider, the Championship side have lost out to Bristol Rovers in the race to the 19-year-old’s signature.

The teenager held a trial with the Rams, as well as Sheffield Wednesday and Reading, but has opted to make the switch to Rovers.

The youngster has impressed in the National League South with Chippenham, and is now set to make the step up to League One level next season, with Derby missing out on his arrival.