Confident Derby County claim made after Rams beaten to Huddersfield, Ipswich Town transfer agreement | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit isn't too disheartened after Marcus Harness signed for Huddersfield Town.

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 were beaten to the signing of former Rams loanee and Ipswich Town man Marcus Harness by Huddersfield Town.

The versatile forward was a free agent after leaving Ipswich Town at the end of his contract.

Harness spent last season on loan at Derby, featuring in all but five of the club's Championship matches, scoring four goals and chipping in with three assists. The majority of the 29-year-old's contributions came in the final ten games of the season, with his club in serious danger of relegation back to League One.

However, thanks to some standout performances from Harness helping to secure key results, Derby were able to preserve their Championship status for the 2025/26 season.

After the season concluded, Football League World exclusively revealed that John Eustace's side were exploring a permanent move for the Irishman, who was entering the final weeks of his contract at Portman Road.

Despite this, League One outfit Huddersfield swooped in to secure the signing of Harness, in a deal that looks to be a real coup for the third tier side.

Derby County not feeling disappointed after missing out on Marcus Harness

In the wake of the midfielder's move to the Terriers, FLW spoke to our resident Derby fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, and asked him if he felt any disappointment that the loanee wouldn't be returning to Pride Park.

Woodward responded: "No, I'm forever grateful for the purple patch Marcus Harness had under Eustace in those final half-dozen games or so.

"He linked up really well with [Jerry] Yates, and he scored some really important goals for us and put in some really important performances.

"However, moving forward, I don't think he's good enough for a team that's going to be looking to progress in the Championship. I think League One is his level," Shaun continued.

"I wish him all the best at Huddersfield, but I don't think he would've been the answer for Derby long-term. I think he would've been a decent squad player but nothing more than that.

"So [I] thank him for what he did at the end of the season, because some of his goals and performances definitely helped to keep us up.

"But, if we'd have signed him, he would've been nothing more than a squad player in my opinion with the signings that Eustace is likely to bring in."

Derby will be looking for higher calibre players than Harness

Next season, the Rams will be keen to improve on their recent 19th-place finish in the Championship.

Despite finishing three places above the drop zone, there was only a single point separating them and League One football.

The project at Pride Park is a very exciting one, as prizing Eustace away from play-off-chasing Blackburn Rovers was a hugely impressive coup by Derby, securing arguably one of the best managers in the division.

With a Premier League return likely the long-term aim for the club, they will want to build year-on-year and keep working towards that target. Now they've survived the first season back in the Championship, the next step is to better last season's finish.

Of course, this will mean that squad improvement and evolution will be required. Despite Harness' excellent end to the season, the rest of the season left a lot to be desired.

As Shaun mentioned, the Rams will be looking to progress in the Championship, and it's unlikely that the 29-year-old would be a regular starter in a team that's trying to reach the next level.

All in all, Harness' contributions massively helped Derby last season and mustn't be forgotten. However, the club will likely be looking for a higher calibre player to align with their future expectations.