Derby County told to make specific Jerry Yates call in January | OneFootball

The striker has made a decent impression since joining the Rams on loan from Swansea City, scoring four goals.

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 had a difficult few weeks, and positive results have been hard to come by for Paul Warne's side.

The Rams suffered two home defeats on the bounce for the first time since August 2023 last week, despite being the stronger side against both Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City in those games.

The results saw the East Midlands club drop to 15th in the Championship, and they are just five points above the relegation zone as they gear up for two incredibly difficult away matches in succession, first visiting Leeds United on Saturday before taking on Burnley three days later.

Derby have to work out a way to come out of those clashes with at least a point, and they will need Swansea loanee Jerry Yates to be at his very best to give Warne any chance of success.

Derby told not to sign Yates permanently in January

The 28-year-old had a slow start to life at Pride Park after making the switch in the summer, but he has now scored three goals in four games and is proving to be a real threat for his side. However, it can be said that he should have found the back of the net more often.

He missed two golden opportunities to put the Rams 2-0 up against the Owls on Sunday, which allowed the visitors back into the match, with Danny Rohl's team striking twice to take all three points back to Hillsborough.

However, Warne does have a lack of other options in the position, and Yates has proven crucial in leading the line alone.

Football League World asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, if he believes the club should work a deal with Swansea to make the striker's deal a permanent one or not.

"Jerry Yates has been a decent player so far this season for us," he started.

"He has scored some important goals, and he's come good in the last half a dozen games, but I wouldn't be rushing out to sign him in January.

"I think it's more important that we get someone alongside him that can support him and share the workload."

Shaun concluded: "I would be assessing it at the end of the season, depending on what league we're in. So, no, I wouldn't be looking to buy him in January."

Yates needs more support up front

It seems incredibly unlikely that Swansea will recall Yates in the January transfer window, especially with Zan Vipotnik slowly starting to get better, and Williams is seemingly happy with how the striker is getting on at Derby.

But, a permanent deal would be more difficult, with the 28-year-old's contract with the Swans lasting until 2026. Therefore, the Rams will have to look elsewhere for a more permanent option in January, but with it unknown how much Warne has to play with financially, another loan deal may be sought.

Not all of the loanees at Pride Park have made an impact quite like Yates, and it would not be a surprise to see the likes of Tawanda Chirewa sent back to Wolverhampton Wanderers to free up one of the loan spots.

Derby must look for more support for their number 10 in January, as he is currently being relied on to play week-in-week-out without rest to give the Rams a focal point, and an injury would be hugely detrimental to their season and chances of season.