Cashin to be sold? Derby County must sort these 3 issues before August 30th | OneFootball

It's set to be an important summer for Derby County as they prepare for their Championship return

Highlights

Derby County have a big summer ahead of them as they prepare for their return to the Championship after a two-season absence.

The Rams will be looking to cement their place back in the second tier and there is plenty of business to be done to ensure they're in the strongest possible position.

Some key players will require new contracts, permanent deals for loan players may be looked at and there could still be a headline departure.

Here, FLW looks at the business that Derby need to sort out before the end of the summer...

Eiran Cashin (Sold)

Eiran Cashin has already been the subject of strong Premier League interest last summer, with Brighton & Hove Albion almost concluding a deal for the young defender.

That deal, however, did not go through, and the 22-year-old now has another full senior season under his belt at Pride Park, where he has become a key element of the defensive unit.

Nothing Cashin has done will have limited the interest in him and his stock may never be higher than it is now. His new deal, signed earlier this year and keeping him at the club until 2027, puts the club in a strong negotiating position if another top-flight team comes in this summer.

The centre-back's deadline day drama last year shows that Cashin is keen to make the step up, and may become unsettled if another proposed top-tier deal falls through, so now may be the perfect time to collect a transfer fee for the defender and reinvest it in getting the squad prepared for the Championship challenge.

It would not be without risk though. A full solid season in the Championship at his young age would send his value skyrocketing even further, so there is a lot to weigh up for the Rams.

Louie Sibley (Contract)

Another young Rams academy product, whose future may hang in the balance, is midfielder Louie Sibley.

Unlike Cashin, however, Sibley has not been tied down to a new deal and his current terms are set to expire this summer.

The club confirmed that they have presented a new offer to the 22-year-old to keep him at Pride Park into the new season, but it has not yet been revealed how close he is to accepting that offer.

It will be high on the priority list for Paul Warne's side as losing Cashin for a considerable sum would be difficult enough; losing Sibley on a free would be catastrophic.

That is a real possibility though, as Sibley will be free to agree a deal with other clubs at the end of this month, and he is unlikely to be short of suitors. Derby need to throw everything they can behind him putting pen to paper.

Ebou Adams (Permanent)

The Gambia international Ebou Adams spent the second half of last season on loan at the Rams from Championship side Cardiff City, and he made a strong impression at Pride Park.

Adams himself did not rule out a permanent return to his temporary home at the end of last season, and Cardiff boss Erol Bulut is due to sit down and ponder the futures of many of his players.

The 28-year-old has just one year left to run on his current contract, meaning the Bluebirds may be keen to cash in on their man and reinvest the funds elsewhere.

He would help bridge the gap between the second and third tier for Derby, retain his status as a Championship player and likely provide his parent club with some funds in the process. It seems a deal is there to be done for all parties involved, but whether they can get it over the line is yet to be seen.