27 goals in 44 league games – Derby have struck gold with the signing of this £5m goal machine

Why Derby County have hit gold with the signature of Jack Marriott

According to reports, Derby County have completed the signing of Jack Marriott from Peterborough. The Rams will reportedly make an initial payment of £3m, with major add-ons that could see the fee rise to £5m.

Marriott, 23, enjoyed a spectacular debut season with Peterborough in League One after joining them from Luton Town last summer, scoring 33 times in all competitions.

New Derby manager Frank Lampard initially struggled to get the deals over the line but his team has gathered pace in signing players. A trio of players joined Derby earlier last week, with Florian Jozefzoon, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson becoming the manager’s summer signings.

And the Chelsea legend has now gone one step further and added Marriott to his ranks, signalling his intent ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Marriott scored 27 goals in 44 league appearances for Peterborough in the 2017/18 campaign and his swashbuckling displays garnered a lot of attention. Derby have won the race for his signature and Lampard will hope he lives up to his billing at Pride Park, even though the transition from League One to Championship might take some time.

However, looking at his last season’s displays, the 23-year-old could hit the ground running from the onset and help the Rams mount another promotion push to the top-flight. Under former manager Gary Rowett, Derby scored 70 goals last season but that tally needs to increase if the club are aiming to secure promotion to the Premier League.

A player like Marriott could definitely help Lampard and Derby in achieving the targets this season. The 23-year-old has the natural instinct of knowing where the back of the net is, whilst he will also offer much-needed pace and cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. Blessed with explosive pace, creativity and guile, Marriott is also extremely clinical in front of the goal.

He is just 23, but has shown maturity and goalscoring technique that belies his age. Marriott is a determined striker who is capable of producing the goods out of nothing and always remain determined to give his 100% on the pitch. The former Luton man has it in him to be at the right place at the right time – a very important aspect of a striker.

Marriott certainly has the required skill-set and abilities to truly make an impact at Pride Park next season. It goes without saying that Derby would benefit from having him in their squad.

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At 23, he has shown a lot of promise and has his best years ahead of him. In every sense, Marriott is a fantastic addition to the Derby squad.