Derby County urged to seal transfer reunion with Chelsea player this summer - he'd be a "breath of fresh air" | OneFootball

Derby County have been told that they should look to bring Omari Kellyman back to the club on loan from Chelsea.

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 they should be in the mix to sign Omari Kellyman this summer after it was revealed he could leave Chelsea on loan.

The 19-year-old attacker, who was born in Derby, came through the ranks at Pride Park, and he was rated as one of the most exciting academy graduates before he moved to Aston Villa in 2022.

The West Midlands outfit paid around £600,000 for Kellyman, which came at a time when Derby were facing serious financial problems three years ago.

Omari Kellyman set for summer loan move away from Chelsea - Derby County told to pounce

Since then, Kellyman has been on the move again, with Chelsea signing the youngster for £19m from Villa in a deal that helped both clubs as they battled PSR problems.

The teenager is understandably down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, so it has been reported that a loan move is on the cards, as that is seen as the best step for Kellyman’s development.

It’s thought that the forward will join a Championship club, which prompted FLW to ask Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward whether a return to Pride Park would make sense given the lack of depth and quality in the final third within John Eustace’s squad.

And, Shaun was emphatic with his response, as he explained why this could be a perfect move for all parties ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“I’d like to think, given the circumstances he left Derby under, that he would jump at the chance to come and play first-team football for us and show us what we missed," Shaun told FLW.

“Kellyman was such a good prospect, but we never got to see that, and it would excite all Rams fans if we saw him back in a Derby shirt.

"I’d love to see him in the pre-season squad, to get involved with the first-team players, and to show what he’s really made of, and to give him his first taste of senior football.

“I’m sure he’d thrive at Derby, we’ve got great training facilities, he knows the club, so it wouldn’t be an awkward move, so he is someone that would be really exciting.

“I think all the fans would get right behind him. Hopefully he can come in, be a breath of fresh air, and help move the club forward.”

Derby County must back John Eustace this summer - Omari Kellyman on loan would be a good way of showing that

Even though it went to the final day, Derby achieved their objective of remaining in the Championship under Eustace, who has done a fantastic job.

If you look at the points return since his appointment, Derby averaged 1.5 points per game, which would have them in the mix for the play-offs over the course of a full season.

So, fans are right to be optimistic going into the new campaign, but it’s crucial that the board back him as much as possible in the window, and attacking reinforcements will be the priority.

Kellyman would be the sort of signing that could make a difference, and you would expect Derby to try and take advantage of the loan market as they look to bring in some young talents from top clubs.