Derby County must aim to capitalise on Matt Bloomfield exit at Wycombe Wanderers | OneFootball

The Chairboys lost their manager to Luton Town on Tuesday, and the Rams could try and inflict further punishment by signing Richard Kone.

After a disappointing few weeks, Derby County's first signing of the January transfer window may be just days away.

The Rams are expected to sign Norwegian striker Lars-Jorgen Salvesen from Viking FK for £800k this week and there will be hope that he can join ahead of their clash with Watford FC at Pride Park on Saturday.

However, the potential departure of James Collins to either Leyton Orient or Rotherham United will give space for the arrival of another forward player, and Wycombe Wanderers could hold the perfect player for Paul Warne.

With Matt Bloomfield's departure to Luton Town confirmed on Tuesday, after it was originally reported by Football League World that he was close to becoming the new Hatters manager, there is the chance that Derby can inflict more damage onto the Chairboys and bring in one of their main stars from this season.

Richard Kone could complete Derby County's forward line

The Rams have struggled in front of goal at times this season and there will be a real desire from supporters to see players with a true ability to score consistently join the club.

Salvesen will provide Warne with the experienced, physical option that he wants to command the play up front and be a nuisance for defenders, but Wycombe's Richard Kone could be a young star that provides the East Midlands outfit with goals over the next few years.

At 21, he has plenty of time to develop and become a star in the Championship after an explosive first half of the season that has seen him find the back of the net 13 times in League One already, helping his side to the top of the division.

However, the departure of Bloomfield may unsettle him and the rest of the squad so the Rams must capitalise.

It would not be a surprise to see Luton attempt to bring Kone to Kenilworth Road to link back up with his now former boss, and Derby cannot afford to let a direct competitor gain a striker of his quality who has years to blossom.

If Warne has the finances at his disposal, then the 21-year-old must be seen as the next priority.

Derby County need to plan for the future as well as the present

Signing players on loan will give the Rams a temporary fix to the problems that they face, so supporters will be happy to see the likes of Salvesen brought in permanently.

Kone could be a long-term option for Derby, and with Jerry Yates returning to Swansea City in the summer, it means that Warne will have one less issue to deal with.

Louie Barry is a name that has been linked with the Championship side throughout the last few weeks, and as exciting as he is, making that deal a permanent one in the near future would be near impossible.

Derby have started to play their cards in this transfer window, and replacing Collins with Salvesen and potentially Kone will only help in their battle to stay in the second tier this season.