"Would enhance our squad" - Derby County backed to strike new Ipswich Town transfer deal | OneFootball

The 28-year-old scored his first goal for the club in the Rams' 2-0 win over QPR on Saturday.

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 not had great success in the loan market in recent years.

Last summer, the Rams brought in Elliot Embleton and Tyreece John-Jules on temporary deals, with the former going back to his parent club Sunderland not long after first arriving due to an injury.

The year prior, Harvey White, Lewis Dobbin, Tony Springett and William Osula arrived at Pride Park without having too much of an impact, but within these failed moves have been some that have worked out excellently.

Haydon Roberts was brilliant during the 2022/23 campaign on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, while Ebou Adams was exceptional in the half a season he had at Derby at the start of 2024, earning him a permanent move to the East Midlands.

In 2024/25, the Rams have not been conservative in the market, bringing in five players for the rest of the campaign, and one of those, Marcus Harness, got off the mark in black-and-white in Saturday's 2-0 win over QPR.

Harness could be a good option for a permanent move in the future

A player with such experience in the EFL will be crucial for the rest of Derby's season, and after playing nearly 300 games across the three divisions, Harness can certainly provide that.

He won promotion with Ipswich Town to the top flight in 2023/24, and featured in two of their Premier League fixtures before heading to Pride Park for the rest of the season, where he has already looked like he could be useful in both midfield and out on the wing.

It is this versatility that makes him such a key find for Paul Warne, and he has already started to prove why he was brought in.

Football League World has asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, what he thinks of Harness' start to life in black-and-white, and whether he believes they should make his move permanent at the end of the season.

He told FLW: "Marcus Harness is a tidy player. He's only played a handful of games for us so far, so it's too early to really say how it's going to go for him at Derby, but he had a great game on Saturday, and scored a really good goal which will do his confidence good, and he looks like he could be a good player for us.

"Whether he's going to be starting or a bit of a squad player, I don't know, but it's his place to lose now in the team. He's looked tidy, and like I said, he scored a really good goal on Saturday, so hopefully he can carry that form on after the international break."

Shaun continued: "It's a hard one to know about whether we should sign him permanently because he's 29 in February. I mean, it's not a bad age, but it depends on which direction we want to go in, and I think right now, with the squad the way it is, I would be looking to sign him. But Paul Warne might have other ideas about bringing in younger players, but right now I think he's definitely someone that would enhance our squad and help us out.

"He's got back-to-back promotions under his belt as well, so he's used to winning, albeit he didn't play a massive part last season, he's still used to being in a winning environment, so that's good for the younger players in the squad.

"So, all in all, a very tidy player who I think can only help the team and the younger players in the squad, so I'll be looking to sign him unless Paul Warne has ideas about bringing in youngsters."

Ipswich's Premier League status could be a huge factor in any potential decision

While it is still early days in his Derby career, Harness has already started to prove why he was signed, and as he gets more opportunities in the starting XI, the more he will get to show what he can truly do.

If the Rams do look to try and bring the 28-year-old in permanently, they may not have to work a deal with Ipswich as his contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

But, if the Tractor Boys are relegated from the Premier League, they may sign the former Burton Albion man on a short-term deal to provide cover for them in the Championship, but a good year at Derby could help sway his mind in favour of the Rams.

Nevertheless, with Harness just over a month into his time at Pride Park it is extremely early to be thinking about if he can become a core part of the club in the coming years, and becoming a more consistent part of the team is perhaps the only thing on his mind at this moment in time.