"Always been money" - Derby County's imminent Patrick Agyemang transfer slammed by Dean Smith | OneFootball

Speaking at his most recent press conference, Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith has weighed in on Patrick Agyemang's move to Derby County.

As per recent reports, Derby County are set to sign USA international Patrick Agyemang from Charlotte FC - but it hasn't gone down well with his current club boss Dean Smith.

Building on last week's reports from The Telegraph's John Percy, Dominic Dietrich of BBC Derby suggests that Agyemang is imminently due in England to finalise the final part of the deal, including visa requirements, after the player completed his medical in the United States on Thursday.

The 24-year-old forward recently took part in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the USA, where Mauricio Pochettino's men lost narrowly to Mexico in the final thanks to goals from Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez.

Dean Smith won promotion to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2019 and is now in charge at Charlotte FC, where he has been since 2023 - he's now set to lose his star striker though.

Dean Smith weighs in on Patrick Agyemang's imminent Derby County transfer

Smith gave his thoughts on the move at his most recent press conference, suggesting that he does not necessarily believe the move is right for Agyemang.

Making it known that he does not want Agyemang to make the move to Derby, Smith immediately stated: "I've had the conversation with Patrick and my answer was that I don't think he should (move to Derby).

"But obviously, it is up to the player to make that decision.

"As long as the player is the one making the decision and not his representatives. Because I did remind Patrick that agents work for you and not the other way around.

"It's something we have been aware of, with the fact we have not been able to agree a contract with Patrick and his representatives, it has always indicated that this was likely to happen, whether it was in this window or at the end of the season."

After scoring six goals in 16 MLS appearances for Smith's side this campaign, Agyemang was more than on track to better his tally of 10 from the 2024 term.

Smith, though, was adamant that the pending move is not necessarily the choice of Agyemang.

"I do feel as if he has probably been pushed by his representatives rather than it being the decision of the actual player," Smith added.

"It's always been money."

"I thought the club made fair offers, and there were a number of offers in January. I spoke to Patrick about where I think he should be and what he should do, but his representatives had totally different ideas."

Derby County are taking a risk - but they could unlock Patrick Agyemang's potential

Standing at 6ft 4in, Agyemang carries fantastic physical stature, and the point can be made that he is almost tailor-made for the Championship when it comes to his physical frame; however, question marks are there over his actual technical ability.

He is a powerful striker with plenty of strength and pace, and that could suit him well playing next to Carlton Morris, but he's still in the infancy of his professional career, and there's plenty of fine-tuning to do.

However, for a reported £5.8 million fee, Derby are likely to have done their homework.

Being blessed with fantastic physical traits, some smart work on the training ground to match this with the finer details on the ball could see Agyemang become a fantastic acquisition for the Rams this summer.