"That’s what worries me" - Concern raised as Derby County chase Hull City transfer | OneFootball

FLW's Rams fan pundit wants to see the club sign Hull's Cody Drameh this summer

Derby County have been told to pursue the signing of Hull City right-back Cody Drameh due to John Eustace's ability to get the best out of struggling players and their lack of depth in the position, after the Rams reportedly saw a loan bid for the 23-year-old rejected by the Tigers last week.

Eustace's side managed to survive by the skin of their teeth in the Championship earlier this month, much like Hull, and now preparations have begun for next season where they will look to kick on and aim to finish much higher up the table.

Drameh has been a solid Championship full-back for a number of years now, having spent time in the division on loan at Cardiff City, Luton Town and Birmingham City while contracted to Leeds United from 2021 to 2024.

He made a permanent exit from Elland Road last summer, joining the Tigers on an initial three-year contract, but his time in East Yorkshire could well be coming to an end soon after a tough debut campaign at the club, with Derby already having seen an approach knocked back.

Derby fan pundit issues Cody Drameh transfer claim - John Eustace 'knows what he is doing'

Former England under-21 international Drameh is a versatile defender who can play on either flank at the back, and has earned plaudits for his pace and quality on the ball since he first emerged at Leeds as a youngster.

He undoubtedly joined Hull last summer with the aim of nailing down a starting place at a club that looked to be on the up in the Championship, but his maiden campaign at the KCOM Stadium was a tough one for all connected to the Tigers.

Drameh particularly struggled to impress regularly under either Tim Walter or Ruben Selles, with just 17 league starts across the campaign, and 29 appearances in all competitions as the East Yorkshire side battled to survive relegation.

He may well be looking to depart soon, as a result, and Football Insider have recently reported that Derby have seen a loan bid for his services rejected by Hull, with the Tigers only willing to accept permanent offers for the right-back this summer. They are believed to face competition for his services from French sides Toulouse and Reims.

Eustace clearly fancies a reunion with Drameh, having previously coached him at Birmingham, and FLW's Derby fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, has urged the club to keep trying to sign the 23-year-old, as he trusts the Rams' boss' judgements on players and knows they are in need of more depth on the right side of his defence.

“(Right-back) is definitely a position we need to strengthen, with Ryan Nyambe always out injured," Shaun told FLW.

“Joe Ward has been injured most of the season as well, and is more of a wing-back. Kane Wilson is another one, you don’t really want him at right-back, you want him as a wing-back.

“It is definitely a position we need to look at. At 23-years-old, (Drameh) is a very good age and is only going to get better, but my concern is that his career seems to have dipped a bit in the last couple of years, albeit he is young and is going to be inconsistent.

“He hit the ground running with Leeds in the Premier League, made a few appearances, and then went on to be Cardiff’s Player and Young Player of the Year.

“He then moved to Luton and got promoted with them to the Premier League, but since then he has been in a Birmingham team that got relegated, and then in a Hull side that barely survived on the last day of the season, where he only started 17 games for them.

“That’s what worries me, when someone of his age should now be kicking on and really establishing themselves, he seems to have gone backwards a bit.

“But, as I have said for quite a while now, if John Eustace thinks there is a player there, and someone he can coach and get the best out of, then I am going to accept what he says and I am not going to argue with it at all.

“He knows what he is doing, and that’s definitely a position we need to strengthen. Drameh is a great age and is hopefully someone he can bring in to hit the ground running at Derby and find a home.”

Drameh may benefit from a move away from Hull - he is talented but has lost his way

Drameh was long touted to be a genuine senior option at right-back for Leeds as he emerged through their youth ranks a few years ago, but their circumstances of being a struggling Premier League side and then a top Championship team meant it was always going to be tough for him to break through and prove himself in such high-pressure situations.

Out of his three loan spells away from the Whites, his five months spent at Luton was undoubtedly the most fruitful, as he became a real fan-favourite at Kenilworth Road and helped them win an unlikely promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.

He was linked with a permanent move to Luton and fellow newly-promoted side Burnley that same summer, but instead joined Birmingham, in a surprise move, and went on to be a part of their side that was relegated to League One after some poor decisions at board level.

The 23-year-old actually turned down a new deal at Leeds last summer before moving to Hull, and it is fair to say that he has lost his way over the last season with the Tigers. Ruben Selles even admitted last month that he knew it had been "difficult" for Drameh, due to him being in and out of the team since he was hired.

Even though he has struggled recently, the London-born full-back clearly has the talent and potential to improve further as his career progesses. He may well be seeking a move away this summer, and the opportunity to revive his career under a manager like Eustace is surely one that would appeal massively.