Derby County set for transfer breakthrough as £2.1m+ fee agreed for Max Johnston | OneFootball

Derby County have agreed a fee with Austrian side Sturm Graz for right-back Max Johnston.

Derby County have agreed a fee with Austrian side Sturm Graz for Scottish right-back Max Johnston, as John Eustace continues to bolster his side.

​​​​​​The Rams have not been shy in terms of bringing in players this summer, with 10 new additions having already come through the door.

Danny Batth, Andreas Weimann and Dion Sanderson have all arrived, having all previously worked with manager Eustace at Lancashire outfit Blackburn Rovers, whilst Patrick Agyemang and Carlton Morris have both arrived at Pride Park for multi-million pound fees.

Derby County agree Max Johnston fee

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri via X on Saturday, Derby have agreed a fee in the region of €2.5 million (£2.1 million) for Johnston, who has spent the last two years in Austria after coming through the ranks at Scottish club Motherwell.

Derby reportedly had two bids of £1.4 million and £1.6 million knocked back from the Austrian side prior to having this offer accepted.

The Rams still face competition from numerous other European clubs to secure his signature, with most notably Coppa Italia champions Bologna keen on the defender as the Rams now await his decision.

Johnston would add depth to the Rams defence, capable of playing either as a right-back or a right wing-back, and would offer an alternative to Ryan Nyambe and Kane Wilson in that position.

Johnston has enjoyed a successful two years at Sturm Graz following his move from his native Scotland, having made 65 appearances, scoring twice and assisting a further eight goals across all competitions for the club.

The 21-year-old has been a regular fixture for the club in the UEFA Champions League, whilst also helping Sturm Graz to back-to-back Austrian league titles, as well as an Austrian cup.

Elsewhere, Eustace is keen to bring in another player he has formerly worked with in Blackburn captain Lewis Travis, with Derby having agreed a fee with Rovers for around £3m, according to Blackburn reporter Elliot Jackson, via X.

Having picked up just one point from their opening three matches, Derby will hope that the additions of Travis and Johnston will give them the boost they need to kick on and climb the table this campaign.

Max Johnston is yet to make a decision on which club he is joining as Derby face nervous wait

Whilst Derby fans will be delighted that they have agreed a fee with Sturm Graz for Johnston, the Scotsman is yet to make his mind up on where he will be playing his football this season.

Bologna remain interested in Johnston, with the Italian club able to offer European football to the right-back this season, having qualified for the Europa League via their Coppa Italia triumph.

However, having made the addition of former Cagliari right-back Nadir Zortea earlier this week, it remains unclear whether Bologna will continue to pursue Johnston.

With Derby and Sturm Graz having reached an agreement on a fee for Johnston, it is now up to him whether he wants to make the switch to the English Championship.

It's clear that he's a player the Rams are very keen to add to their ranks this summer, as they look to shore up a leaky defence that has shipped nine goals in their opening three Championship games this season.