Why Derby County should plot a January swoop for Sammie Szmodics

Back in March, the Derby Telegraph had claimed that Derby County were one of the few Championship clubs interested in signing Sammie Szmodics, who was then plying his trade for Colchester. However, he rejected a move to Derby County during the summer and joined Bristol City instead.

At Bristol City, Sammie Szmodics, 24, has found first-team football hard to come by, having made just four appearances so far this season. Bristol City appear keen to send him out on loan in January to give him more game time, with Huddersfield Town and Hull City previously said to be interested. (h/t Examiner Live)

Hence, Derby County should reignite their interest and go for the midfielder in January to bolster their promotion hopes.

The Rams have made an underwhelming start to the Championship season under Phillip Cocu and are without a win in their last six matches.

After reaching the play-off final under Frank Lampard last season, they would have been hoping to go one step further and achieve promotion this term but the Pride Park outfit have really struggled for consistency so far and are currently 18th in the league table.

There’s still time for Cocu to turn things around and the Dutchman should eye reinforcements in January to aid Derby’s promotion push. Cocu will hope that Wayne Rooney makes an impact for Derby when he eventually makes his debut in the New Year.

The former Manchester United star will be able to make his long-awaited debut for the Rams in the New Year when he officially joins the club following the end of his deal with DC United.

Apart from Rooney, the Rams need another creative outlet in the team and a player in the ilk of Sammie Szmodics for the rest of the season should be ideal.

Things may not have worked out for him at Bristol this season but Szmodics is a talented player, who scored 15 goals and produced nine assists for Colchester in the 2018/19 season with his purposeful, all-action style. From the No.10 role, he should be able to link up the play with the rest of Derby’s attacking players.

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The 24-year-old can play forward passes quickly and carry the ball out from deeper areas in the midfield, making him an ideal fit at Pride Park.

Verdict

Szmodics could, therefore, be the right player to come in and help Cocu’s side score more goals. All in all, the creative midfielder can help Derby kick-start a consistent run of results in the New Year.