Derby County's 7 most expensive signings in order from worst to best (Ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

Derby County have not been afraid to spend in the past decade with several high-profile signings proving to be successful.

The Pride Park faithful have witnessed their fair share of top Championship talent in years gone by, lending to a series of play-off finishes before crashing out of the division in 2022 under the previous ownership.

Narrowly missing out on a play-off spot in the third tier last term, Derby are back fighting in the top half of League One in hopes of regaining their Championship status.

To do so, a plethora of experienced professionals have been brought in by Paul Warne to aid their objectives, making shrewd moves in the transfer market.

While it looks to be a more positive chapter in Derby's recent history, we cast our minds back to their Championship days and reflect on their most expensive signings, according to Transfermarkt, and how they performed in the East Midlands.

7 Jacob Butterfield

The former Barnsley and Huddersfield Town midfielder arrived from the latter in 2015 for a reported £4 million fee, proving to be a threat in the centre of the park in his debut campaign with seven Championship goals.

Butterfield was a mainstay in the Rams midfield for two seasons, playing 80 times with the club in and around the play-offs.

Game time deteriorated the following year, however, playing just three matches in the opening half of the season before spending the next 18 months on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City.

The now 33-year-old received a negative reception from his parent club upon his return and subsequently moved to Luton Town in 2019, before moves to Melbourne Victory, St Johnstone and Scunthorpe United.

6 Martyn Waghorn

Waghorn arrived in 2018 off the back of a high-flying season with Ipswich Town, scoring 16 goals with 11 assists for the Tractor Boys in the Championship.

While still showing moments of his finishing ability and overall link-up play in the final third, he was unable to replicate such form in a Derby shirt, scoring 26 goals with 10 assists - his underrated creative ability a valuable asset in Frank Lampard's side.

Moving to Coventry City in 2021, the former Leicester City man struggled for regular game time for the Sky Blues and Huddersfield Town and has since returned to Pride Park this season with the forward in top form this time around, proving to be one of the most dangerous threats in League One.

5 Krystian Bielik

Bielik was a highly-awaited arrival when he signed from Arsenal in 2019 for a deal worth up to £9.5 million.

An imperious figure who could play or typically just in front of the backline, the Polish international was a terrific physical and defensive presence for the Rams, however, injuries significantly hampered his impact at the club.

The 25-year-old suffered back-to-back ACL injuries, limiting him to just 48 appearances across three seasons as Derby suffered the drop.

While his lack of availability drops him down this list, he has continued to impress with current club Birmingham City where he has become a constant force in the Blues eleven.

4 Bradley Johnson

Johnson signed for Derby for a fee in the region of £6 million in 2015 after a storming season with Norwich City, scoring 15 goals for the Canaries.

The midfielder became a regular at Pride Park and showed flashes of quality despite not carrying the same level of goal threat he demonstrated in Norfolk.

The former Leeds United midfielder went on to play 125 Championship matches in four seasons for the club as hard-working, steady player in the middle of the park, while the fee may not have worked in his favour.

The 36-year-old has since enjoyed spells with Blackburn Rovers and MK Dons before returning in a player-coach capacity with the Derby U21s this season.

3 Matěj Vydra

The Czech Republic international was no stranger to English football by the time he arrived at Pride Park in 2016 following spells with Watford, Reading and West Bromwich Albion.

Scoring 36 times in the Championship for the Hornets, Vydra returned to the second tier and scored five goals in 33 appearances in his debut season.

The following year, however, saw the attacking-minded player spring into life, scoring 21 goals with four assists to finish league top goalscorer as the Rams recorded a play-off finish.

A standout campaign saw his short but sweet stint in the East Midlands come to an end to join Premier League Burnley, playing a bit-part role for the Clarets for four seasons before moving to home nation giants Viktoria Plzeň.

2 Tom Lawrence

A somewhat controversial selection, Lawrence's undoubted quality in recent years was of vital importance to Derby County with his creativity and goalscoring antics valuable assets during his five seasons at the club.

The former Leicester City man was a regular force in the final third, hitting double-figures twice during his time at Pride Park, including 16 goal contributions in his final season in the 2021/22 campaign with the newly-appointed captain taking charge in the attack.

Nevertheless, his time at the club ended on a sour note in the eyes of many supporters, despite playing almost 200 league matches for the club, while a drink-driving charge in 2019 certainly marred his reputation on and off the pitch.

The Welsh international has since joined Scottish giants Rangers, where he has played for the past two seasons.

1 Tom Ince

After a remarkable loan spell in 2015, scoring 11 goals in 18 Championship appearances, there have not been many better attackers to represent the club in the past decade.

The former Blackpool and Hull City man was electric at Pride Park, recording a double-figure goal return in three consecutive seasons with Derby battling it out for promotion on a consistent basis.

The former England youth international scored 37 goals across three seasons for the club, along with 16 assists, before joining Huddersfield Town in 2017.