Derby County plotting summer swoop for 8-goal, 13-assist winger | OneFootball

According to Football Insider, the Rams are preparing to make a move for the 21-year-old after his impressive loan stint at Blackpool last season.

County are looking to build a team capable of competing in the Championship following their promotion from League One, and Paul Warne is hoping to strengthen his attacking options for life in the second tier, with Dembele firmly on his radar.

The attacking midfielder/winger spent the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Blackpool from Ligue 1 outfit Brest, where he contributed eight goals and 13 assists from 39 appearances in the third tier of English football.

Derby County interested in Karamoko Dembele deal

Derby are the latest club to emerge with an interest in the young forward this summer, with the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City, Southampton and Middlesbrough all mentioned as sides monitoring his future in France.

Newly-promoted Portsmouth were also in the race for his signature, but it’s been reported that John Mousinho's side have since pulled out.

Dembele earned a lot of praise for his performances in League One, and is now set to take a step up in level wherever he plays his football next season.

Derby are open to a permanent or loan move for the Brest player, having been impressed with his impact at Bloomfield Road last season.

It remains to be seen whether Brest would be open to a permanent sale of Dembele in the transfer window given how well his loan stint at Blackpool went.

It is also unclear what kind of fee it would take to convince the French side to sell, or if a loan move would be their preference.

However, they could yet also decide to keep him after the successful time he spent in English football.

Derby County’s summer business

Warne will be hoping to make improvements to his Derby squad ahead of the club’s return to the Championship.

A second place finish in League One earned them promotion at the second attempt, having come seventh in the table 12 months ago.

The Rams are hoping to do their business early this summer, with reports also linking them with a move for Charlton Athletic’s Thierry Small.

The Derbyshire outfit have also been linked with a move for Ben Osborn, but face competition from Watford.

Derby are joined in promotion by Portsmouth and Oxford United, who beat Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final to clinch their place in the Championship.

Karamoko Dembele would be a statement signing for Derby County

Dembele really burst onto the scene at a young age when he was at Celtic, but struggled to live up to expectations.

But he was excellent in League One last year, and showed that he is now ready to step up to a higher level.

A move to the Championship would be a good next step in his career if he isn’t going to receive game time at Brest.

If Derby could pull it off then it would be a real coup for their planning for life back in the Championship, given the other clubs that are being linked with his signature, and he would add more of a youthful look to their attacking options, with the likes of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and James Collins being the wrong side of 30.