Derby County’s focus in the January transfer window has so far been on finding attacking reinforcements for Paul Warne, who will hope to see his side leapfrog Peterborough United on the pitch to secure automatic promotion from League One, as well as away from Pride Park to beat their promotion rivals to a player who could make all the difference.
Derby transfer news
So far, The Rams’ search for attacking options has taken them to Charlton Athletic. According to reports, Derby tabled a £250k offer to sign winger Corey Blackett-Taylor, before seeing their bid to sign the attacker rejected by their League One rivals.
Warne recently remained coy on Derby’s reported offer for Blackett-Taylor, saying:
“I am not talking about a player at another club. I have never done that and I will not do that. There are players I’ve been linked to. My wife showed me one who I’d been linked to at Reading which was completely not true. If there is something to tell you, I would be the first to do so. At the moment there are no new players in the building and that is my final answer.”
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That’s not to say that those at Pride Park aren’t searching for new players, however, with Wigan Athletic’s Callum Lang also linked with a move to Warne’s side, who could weaken a fellow third-tier side by signing a reinforcement this month.
Now, according to journalist Graeme Bailey for HITC, Derby are interested in Macaulay Langstaff, who has risen to stardom at Notts County. It remains to be seen whether the Rams will make their move though, given the Magpies’ reported £1.5m price tag placed on their forward.
If Derby are to land Langstaff, then they will have to fight off plenty of competition too, with promotion rivals Peterborough also keen, alongside Sunderland, Hearts, Birmingham City and Wrexham.
“Brilliant” Langstaff could make all the difference for Derby
Currently one point behind League One leaders Portsmouth and only behind second place Peterborough on goal difference, Derby could use this month to gain a crucial difference-maker in the form of Langstaff.
The Notts County forward has more than proved his ability to adapt to a bigger league this season, instantly making himself at home in League Two, as Langstaff’s stats show. The 26-year-old has scored 21 goals in 30 games in all competitions to leave Notts County in line to make the play-offs and potentially earn back-to-back promotions. Before achieving that, however, Langstaff could yet find himself on the move and lifting silverware at Pride Park come May.
Former manager Luke Williams previously heaped praise on Langstaff, saying: “He’s just brilliant. We are lucky today because he showed his real quality. It’s pretty impressive, and he deserves it because he has scored every type of goal.”
Whether it be Langstaff, Blackett-Taylor, Lang or a different option, it seems as though Derby are looking to bolster their attack one way or another this month, as they look to complete their title fightback in League One.