Derby County opinion: Should Derby County target Yoël Armougom?

Frank Lampard’s appointment by Derby County was a little out of the blue, yet the former Chelsea man has done relatively well at the club. They sit in sixth place and while the Rams haven’t won a single game in their last five matches, overall, they have been on the up.

At the moment, they are the favourites to cling on to that final promotion play-off spot, but they are in the final leg of the season. This is where things will get tougher and not adding a left-back (38-year-old Ashley Cole is too old to be a long-term option) will hurt the promotion hopefuls.

Efe Ambrose did arrive, but barring that the club made no other improvements despite the fact that they needed a few. All but four defenders are 30 or older, their midfield is filled with loanees, and only their front-line looks relatively decent.

The summer window will be their saviour and Lampard needs to make sure he targets players who can make a difference. That being said, one man who can do that is Ligue 1 starlet Yoël Armougom.

The 20-year-old has made quite an impact in his first full season with the club, making 21 appearances in the Ligue 1 for SM Caen. What should attract Derby County to him, baring the fact that he’s younger than all their current left-back options, is the fact that Armougom is a workaholic.

Not only does he work hard but his hard work pays off more often than not for Caen. In his 21 appearances this season, the Frenchman has averaged 1.4 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, and 2.4 clearances per game.

Only Scott Malone has a better average and the 27-year-old has played the same number of games as the 20-year-old Yoël Armougom.

That combined with his pace, tenacity and aggression on the ball makes him perfect for Derby County. Furthermore, Armougom is versatile enough to play as a full-back on either side or even as a wing-back.

That makes the move an even more mouth-watering prospect and under the right manager, Yoël Armougom can improve even further.

While Lampard hasn’t built up too much of a reputation, the Chelsea legend has done well with youngsters over the last few years. Even Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson has been doing very well under Lampard.

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Yoël Armougom is an ambitious full-back and it’s the right time for him to try his hand at Championship football in England. Caen won’t be able to improve his ability any more and regular football at a level much higher than that will improve him.

For Derby County, however, it’s a move that needs to be made, otherwise, they would lose out on an affordable full-back.