Stoke City player features: 5 free agents who Derby County must consider ASAP | OneFootball

Derby County are heading into the summer transfer window as a Championship team.

The 2023/24 season was a very impressive one for Derby County as, despite a shaky start, the club stuck with Paul Warne, and their patience paid off in the end with promotion.

The Rams were the chasing side for the majority of the season, but towards the end of the campaign they hit some impressive form that put them firmly in contention for automatic promotion.

Warne and co managed to get over the line, and they have been able to enjoy the League One play-offs knowing their status in the second tier is already confirmed.

Derby are likely to be busy this summer, as Warne will want to improve areas of his side so they can be competitive in the Championship.

But as well as looking at players that are under contract, the Rams may be wise to look at free agents. So, with that said, here we have picked five free agents who Derby must consider ASAP...

Danny Batth

It has been confirmed that Norwich City are going to release defender Danny Batth when his contract expires at the end of June.

The 33-year-old joined the Canaries in September last year, meaning he has been with the club for just a single season.

He leaves having played 16 times in the league, as Norwich reached the Championship play-offs.

The centre-back will become a free agent this summer, and this could be a perfect opportunity for a team like Derby County.

Derby do have the likes of Curtis Nelson and Sonny Bradley on the books, but the latter wasn't so convincing throughout the season, so it could be a position that Paul Warne looks to address.

If he does, Batth could be a good pick-up, as while he is a free agent, he would bring experience and leadership qualities to a Derby team that may be lacking Championship experience.

Batth has shown that he can still offer a lot at the age of 33, so he wouldn’t be a player to just have in the squad; he can be someone who can make a big impact in their starting XI for the season ahead.

Paddy McNair

Similar to Danny Batth, Paddy McNair will also become a free agent this summer after confirming he will be leaving Middlesbrough.

The 29-year-old has been on the books at the Riverside Stadium since 2018 and leaves having played 219 games for the club, with the majority coming in the Championship.

McNair still has plenty to offer at this level and would surely be someone teams at the top and bottom ends of the league will be looking at.

The Northern Irishman has shown over a number of years what he can bring to a team in the Championship, as he’s contributed in terms of goals and assists.

McNair would be an excellent addition for Derby, as he would again be able to strengthen their centre-back options, but he would also bring versatility.

Given the number of games you play and the opposition you are coming up against, Derby will need to have good options all over the pitch, and McNair being able to play in a wide range of positions could help give Warne options.

The 29-year-old has been known to operate well in defence, but he can also play in midfield as well as a full-back.

So, if Derby signed the utility man, they would have added someone who could offer a lot to the team, and he would cost nothing in terms of a transfer fee.

Josh Onomah

The third player in this list that Derby County should look to sign on a free transfer is midfielder Josh Onomah.

The midfielder has been without a club since leaving Preston North End at the beginning of July last year.

It is surprising that the 27-year-old has been unable to find a new club, given what he has done in the Championship in previous seasons.

Onomah has bounced around a few clubs in his career, but he has had success in the second tier, most noticeably with Fulham, as he was part of their midfield that won promotion back to the Premier League.

The former PNE man has been known to get among the goals as well as create chances for his teammates, but he would bring much more than that to Derby.

The midfielder would add composure on the ball, the ability to split defences open with his technique, and experience of the division.

The Rams have lost Max Bird to Bristol City, so a new midfielder or two will be required, and Onomah could help fill the void.

Ivan Sunjic

As mentioned, Derby are going to lose Bird, but they have also confirmed that Conor Hourihane and Korey Smith are leaving the club when their contracts expire.

That means the midfield department is rather light and lacking experience, but the Rams could improve that by adding Ivan Sunjic to their ranks.

Sunjic joined the Blues in the summer of 2019, and despite spending the 2022/23 season on loan at Hertha Berlin, he has played an important role in recent times for Birmingham.

The 27-year-old returned to the club last summer and was straight away employed back into the starting 11, playing 36 times in the league, during which he scored a single goal and recorded three assists.

The Croat will now find himself without a club this summer, and it could be a perfect chance for Derby to swoop in and offer him regular football in the second tier.

This would be a great signing for the Rams, as they would be filling the void left by Bird and Hourihane with the addition of Sunjic, who has enormous experience and has proven to be a very good player at this level.

He may not offer much in terms of going forward, but he would be very good to have at helping protect the defence and keeping danger away. There may have to be a bit of work done to get this deal over the line, but it would be worth it if he helped the Rams stay in the league.

Tyrese Campbell

The final player in this list whom Derby must consider signing on a free transfer is forward Tyrese Campbell.

The 24-year-old is set to become a free agent after Stoke City decided to let him leave when his contract expires.

Campbell will likely be looked at by several Championship teams this summer, as he’s shown previously he can be dangerous in-front of goal.

The 2023/24 season was a struggle for Campbell though with injuries, as he scored just three goals in 23 league games. But he has shown how good his levels can be, as he scored nine goals and chipped in with five assists the previous season.

Campbell should definitely be someone Derby County look at this summer, as he can bring a different dimension to their attack, with the ability to play both through the middle and out wide.

This would bring yet again versatility to Derby, in particular their forward line, which could do with adding a bit of pace and freshness, given the age of some of the forward players.

Dwight Gayle and Martyn Waghorn are leaving the club, so a new striker or two is very much needed, and Campbell could be an excellent addition to fill the gap.