The 3 Derby County players we can see leaving in January | OneFootball

Derby County will be hoping to challenge for promotion from League One last season.

The Rams spent much of last season inside the play-off places, but they suffered heartbreak as they dropped out of the top six on the final day of the campaign.

It has been an inconsistent start to the season for Derby, but with three-time League One promotion winner Paul Warne at the helm, they should be among the promotion contenders in the third tier.

Warne brought in 12 new additions in what was a busy summer at the club, while there were also a number of high-profile departures.

There are likely to be further exits in the January transfer window, and with that in mind, we looked at three players who could leave Pride Park.

Eiran Cashin

Cashin is one player who seems certain to depart Derby in the January transfer window.

The defender came through the Rams' academy and he has established himself as a key part of the first team in recent years.

Cashin made 52 appearances in all competitions last season, and he was rewarded for his performances as he was named the club's Young Player of the Year.

After having several bids rejected, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion were prepared to pay £4 million for Cashin, but they ran out of time to complete the deal on deadline day.

Warne admitted it would have been a "massive deal" for Cashin to secure a move to the Amex Stadium.

"Reading between the lines and I don't know if anybody knows what club came in for him and what that club brings to his life, it's a massive deal," Warne told Derbyshire Live.

"I have a very tight relationship with Cash and I think he will verify that if you speak to him. I always had his interest at heart but not more so than the club.

"I can't tell you how he feels, you would have to ask him. He's no different to anybody else. We are all chasing the dream to be at the highest level possible."

According to Derbyshire Live, Brighton are "expected to return with a deal for Cashin in the January window", and it would be no surprise to see him emerge on the radar of other clubs.

Max Bird

Bird is another player that Derby managed to hold onto this summer despite transfer interest from elsewhere.

Like Cashin, Bird is a Rams academy product, and he has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay in the heart of midfield, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 48 appearances in all competitions last season.

Championship side Hull City had two bids rejected for Bird this summer, and Hull Live reporter Barry Cooper says he expects the Tigers to return with a fresh offer for the 23-year-old in January, and revealed that Bird is keen to make the switch to the MKM Stadium.

A move to East Yorkshire would see Bird reunite with Hull boss Liam Rosenior, who had spells as assistant manager and interim manager at Pride Park, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Rams could decide to cash in on him in January to avoid losing him for free in the summer.

Darren Robinson

Midfielder Robinson joined the Rams from Northern Irish side Dungannon Swifts in May 2021.

Robinson won the club's Scholar of the Year award for the second consecutive year last season, and after his impressive performances in the academy, he was promoted to the first team squad this summer.

The 18-year-old has been included in Derby's matchday squad on a number of occasions this campaign, but he is yet to make an appearance.

Warne has plenty of strong midfield options at his disposal, including Bird, Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith, Liam Thompson, Louie Sibley and Tyrese Fornah, so Robinson's game time could remain limited, and a loan spell may be beneficial for his development.