Timothy Fosu-Mensah Could Add Some Serious Defensive Steel To Derby’s New-Look Back Line – Here’s How
Despite a reasonable upsurge in form generally, Derby County appeared to be a little open, and struggled defensively at times towards the back end of last season, leading many fans to ask for new bodies to be added in time for the 2017/18 season.
Manager Gary Rowett has already made a couple of moves in the transfer market, bringing in big centre-back Curtis Davies from Hull City and also attacking right-back Andre Wisdom from Liverpool. Despite this, fans still want to see further reinforcements at Pride Park.
Derby seem to be fairly well off now at full-back positions. However, despite the arrival of Davies they seem a little light in the central defence area considering the length of the Championship season. Alex Pearce’s stats were certainly very good last season, but it seems like the fans don’t believe he was as impressive as the number suggest.
Richard Keogh and Jason Shackell were pretty much hit and miss for much of the campaign and that lack of consistency going forward will definitely begin to cost Derby dear, especially given their ambitions to win this league. Curtis Davies will certainly help the cause on that front, but more is still needed and the right man could be the £2.13m rated Man United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
The versatile and combative player, who could sit alongside Davies in the centre of the back line, would not command a huge fee having managed only three starts at Old Trafford. The Dutchman in fact has only 12 appearances to his name in total as a Manchester United player and may look for a move to help advance in his career, similar to Josh Harrop.
Just as in Harrop’s case in fact, Fosu-Mensah knows that despite impressing when given the chance under Jose Mourinho, his career will continue to slow down if he stays in Manchester due to a lack of opportunities and so heading to the Championship could be the way to go.
The 19-year-old may not leave permanently, but a typical season-long loan deal might bring out the best in him and it is something that could benefit Derby, the player, and Man United too. Mourinho doesn’t have the greatest record when it comes to blooding young talents and so if Fosu-Mensah is not a firm part of the first team set-up by the time we are half way through the pre-season campaign, a move looks like the best way forward.