Vela and Kieftenbeld To Sign For Derby County, Ledley Out – Gary Rowett’s Ideal Transfer Window Explored

Vela and Kieftenbeld To Sign For Derby County, Ledley Out – Gary Rowett’s Ideal Transfer Window Explored

Derby County didn’t really make the sort of start they wanted to in the Championship this season, having given boss Gary Rowett full autonomy to put together the squad he wanted.

The sale of Cyrus Christie was questioned and rightly so, while the imports of Curtis Davies and Tom Huddlestone from Hull looked to have started a busy summer, only for the window to fall a little flat until the signing of Tom Lawrence.

The club remain solid though and now sit 4th, just 6 points off an automatic promotion place and so when they next play Cardiff City, the encounter should be very lively indeed. A few decent signings may well make them the best alternative to Wolverhampton Wanderers in this league as they really aren’t that far away now, though who they bring in remains a mystery.

The Rams have been linked with Maikel Kieftenbeld, Ryan Williamson, Jack Colback, Josh Vela, Danny Ings and plenty of others of late, though no solid deals look to have been agreed just yet.

Kieftenbeld is a long-term target and would add some more real quality to the squad. He wanted out of Birmingham City and wanted this move last summer, though it was then blocked. Midfield competition could get even tighter if they buy Josh Vela too but once more the move would be a good one.

Vela is likely to be put up for sale by Bolton in January in order to raise some funds, though he is also wanted by Leeds United and so wouldn’t be as easy to get.

Derby need a striker and it may be worth them giving Bournemouth man Benik Afobe a shot. He did incredibly well in this division when with Wolves, though he has found things a little tougher in the Premier League and has Josh King, Callum Wilson and Jermain Defoe as competition on the south coast.

There is a talk of the club selling Joe Ledley to Sunderland and should the fee be reasonable, it wouldn’t be something I’d be against. Any fee for Ledley may help create the funds needed to purchase Vela and/or Kieftenbeld and that would give the squad a better look overall.

Ledley out, a striker in and one or both of Vela and Kieftenbeld would be ideal for Derby and may yet see them even make a late charge for the league title, something we couldn’t see coming, back in October.