Portsmouth have agreed a fee of £500k for Derby County's Gambian midfielder Ebou Adams, 30. (The News, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.
Amelia Warren
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesOscar Fraulo has so far been Derby's only new arrival this January
With the January transfer window reaching halfway, Derby County have only managed to secure the signature of Danish midfielder Oscar Fraulo since Dion Sanderson's loan move from Birmingham City became permanent.
The 22-year-old played the first half of the Rams' FA Cup fixture against Leeds United on Sunday.
Despite only having 45 minutes to judge by, Fraulo showed composure on the ball, and, when in possession, dictated the play well, with a naive yellow card his only negative contribution.
For the most part, he looks to have the potential to be the 'ball playing number six' Derby have so desperately cried out for.
However, the Rams are ideally in need of another two or three players in this window.
For me, this would give us that extra depth and cutting edge, enabling the best chance to produce some more consistent performances and results for the remainder of the season.
Here are two examples of the types of player I think Derby should look at between now and deadline day:
Reyes Cleary, 21, has already scored five goals and provided six assists for Barnsley this season. Primarily a left winger, he seems a more than capable fit to solve the Rams' problems out wide.
On Monday night he lit up Anfield, as Barnsley travelled to Liverpool in the FA Cup. Despite his side losing the game 4-1, he still produced a stand-out performance that earned him man of the match.
Fearless in possession, always looking to get forward, beat his man, and put pinpoint crosses into the box, Cleary was not fazed at all by coming up against some of the best defenders in the world, with Virgil van Dijk and Jeremie Frimpong regularly having to double up against him throughout the evening.
Pacy, powerful, skilful, positive, and energetic are just a few of the words to describe Cleary's playing style. I could imagine his link-up play with the likes of Patrick Agyemang and Carlton Morris would provide a huge attacking threat, especially with his ability to put good crosses into the box.
The only downside to his impressive performances are that they have made him highly sought-after.
The Barnsley chairman said at a fans' forum on Tuesday evening they have already turned down four bids from two separate unnamed Championship clubs.
So, if Derby want to secure Cleary's signature they'll not only need to move quickly, but also have the right funds available to meet Barnsley's demands.
Bagan, 24, can play in multiple positions across the back four, with his most favoured spot being at left-back, a position Derby do not have strong depth in.
Australian left-back Callum Elder has produced some magnificent performances for the Rams in recent weeks. With his quality of delivery into the box, desire to get Derby on the front foot and solid defensive displays being noticed by fans.
With Elder dropping out of the team to rest on Sunday, Derby veteran Craig Forsyth stepped in.
As expected, Forsyth looked rusty after not having a consistent run in the side all season, and with him turning 37 next month you wonder whether he would be able to slot in and play the relentless Championship schedule of regular Saturday-Tuesday matches, should Elder not be available for any reason.
For me, it's an area Derby could do with some back-up in, and an option for better quality rotation as the season drags on.
A young left-back like Bagan just gives John Eustace that extra option, the opportunity to not have to use Forsyth consistently, and to rest Elder if needed, while also providing the 30-year-old with some healthy competition.
Bagan has registered one goal and three assists for Cardiff City this season, while also recording an impressive 115 defensive recoveries, winning 58.9% of his defensive duels, completing 50% of his dribbles, and creating 40 attacking chances across 2,029 minutes.
His ability to produce quality in both boxes would suit Eustace's style of play, as we know he likes his full-backs to work high up the pitch, and be just as comfortable in an attacking sense as they are defensively.
Bagan's contract runs out in June, but at present he stands as the only recognised senior option at left-back for the Bluebirds, so securing his signature could be extremely difficult unless Cardiff bring in reinforcements.
Nevertheless, a younger left-back with similar statistics, potential, and playing style to Bagan should be on the Rams' radar in my opinion.
You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.
This fixture dates back to the very first Football League season when Preston won both games on their way to an unbeaten campaign which saw them crowned England's first champions.
Derby finished that season third from bottom and had to apply for re-election.
Preston are looking for their first league double over Derby since the 2020-21 campaign following their 1-0 win earlier this season.
Derby County have lost just one of their past 10 away league matches against Preston North End (W5 D4), going down 3-0 in 2020-21.
Since the start of November, only Watford (1) have lost fewer Championship games than Preston North End (2), while only Ipswich (28) and the Hornets (26) have won more points in that time than the Lilywhites (24).
Derby have scored in each of their past 16 Championship matches, the longest ongoing run of any side. It is their best run of scoring at this level since an 18-game run between December 2019 and July 2020.
Derby County have faced 75 shots more than they have had themselves when they have been drawing in Championship games this season which is the worst differential of any side when level.
Derby are leading the race to sign Rangers' 16-year-old hot-shot Chris Condy, who has netted more than 20 goals for the Gers' youth teams since joining from Hamilton last summer. (Daily Record, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.
"He's got a very big future"
Former Derby County striker and academy coach Kevin Wilson believes midfielder Owen Eames has "a big future" ahead of him after making his debut for the Rams in their FA Cup loss to Leeds on Sunday.
The 19-year-old is a product of Derby's academy and played 17 minutes in the defeat by Leeds for his maiden senior appearance.
"I think the kid has a got a real big future," Wilson told BBC Radio Derby.
"He certainly made an impression on a lot of people on Sunday from his first 15 minutes with the first team on the pitch, but I've seen him four times this year and I've been very impressed with him.
"With his creativity for other people, his unselfish running off the ball but also very good on the ball."
Derby have not had an academy graduate break through into the first team since midfielder Liam Thompson did so in 2022.
But Wilson thinks that Eames has got what it takes for a successful senior career.
"He's got an X-factor, hasn't he? He's got that bit other players haven't got," Wilson added.
"He's got a hunger, he's got a desire. There aren't many players that can press like he does, he really presses well. He's most likely as good as I've seen in a while from a young lad.
"I think as long as everything goes well for him going forward and the right decisions are made, I'm sure he will be a name that people would go 'I remember this kid'."
Listen to Wilson's full thoughts and more Derby County content on BBC Sounds.
Derby County boss John Eustace has said there are "lots of positives" to take from their 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Leeds United on Sunday.
The Rams led the contest through Ben Brereton Diaz's low strike in the first half but conceded twice within four minutes in the second period, before James Justin put the game to bed in added time.
"We were good, we were very competitive," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.
"I was really pleased with the debut of Oscar (Fraulo), Lewis Travis came back in, Corey Blackett-Taylor was really exciting on the left. All the players that came in I thought did really well.
"Second half, it was disappointing to concede so early but when players haven't played for that amount of time, we just didn't start quickly enough.
"I'm disappointed to lose, of course I am, but there's lots of positives to take from the game."
Pundits Dion Dublin and Phil Jones join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.
And listen back to selected full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
There are eight third-round ties in the FA Cup on Sunday - as Premier League and Championship teams enter the competition - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Derby v Leeds (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Derby & BBC Radio Leeds
Portsmouth v Arsenal (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Radio Solent
Hull v Blackburn (14:30) - BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio Lancashire
Norwich v Walsall (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Norfolk & BBC Radio WM
Sheff Utd v Mansfield (14:30) - BBC Radio Sheffield & BBC Radio Nottingham
Swansea v West Brom (14:30)
West Ham v QPR (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Radio London
Man Utd v Brighton (16:30) - BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Sussex
Kick-off times GMT
Follow all of the action and reaction here
And find out how to follow the FA Cup across the BBC this weekend here
You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Derby County v Leeds United" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Portsmouth v Arsenal", for instance.
Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds
Leeds have been terrific recently and, as regular readers will know, I am really pleased for their manager Daniel Farke and how he has changed the narrative about his future.
I can see Farke making plenty of changes here because, while he would love a cup run, he knows there is still work to do to keep his side in the Premier League.
That's why I am going for Derby to cause an upset. They are improving all the time under John Eustace and while Leeds will be full of confidence off the back of the past few weeks, I am not sure they will maintain their intensity with a second-string side.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Wealdstone have signed centre-back Daniel Cox on a short-term loan from Championship side Derby.
The 19-year-old Wales Under-21 international has featured once for the Rams' first team and spent the first half of this campaign on loan at League Two Walsall, making seven appearances.
"He had a very hard and challenging time at Borussia Mönchengladbach"
A move to Pride Park is a great chance for Oscar Fraulo to reignite his career, according to German journalist Kevin Schulte.
Derby signed the 22-year-old Danish midfielder from German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach on a three-and-a-half-year deal for a compensation fee, thought to be around £300,000.
Fraulo played only 40 minutes of football across four league games for Gladbach this season and was in the final months of his contract at Borussia-Park.
He made just seven appearances for the German side since joining from Danish side Midtjylland in 2022, although he spent the past two seasons on loan with Dutch club Utrecht, where he scored five goals in 59 league games.
"He had a very hard and challenging time (at Gladbach)," Schulte said told BBC Radio Derby.
"His problem was the squad is very unbalanced. In his position there are too many players. It's to do with poor squad management over the past four or five years so the best thing for him was the loan to Utrecht.
"It was not surprising Borussia sold him now to Derby permanently. This was the last chance to get some money from the transfer. I think the money is the best you can get and Borussia needs every penny."
Schulte predicted there was "more to come" from Fraulo, who has earned Denmark under-21 honours.
"The plan was that maybe he plays a bigger role in the second or third year, and after that didn't happen you know it will be hard. He's still very young, at this kind of age you have to play.
"Utrecht was quite good, he had two good seasons there, but after his return everybody said maybe it's time for him to shine a bit more, but four appearances on the pitch in the first 16 matches is too little.
"Now it's best for all sides that Oscar left."
Schulte said Fraulo was best suited to an attacking midfield role rather than a defensive one, but added: "He has quite a broad skill-set, he's box-to-box, high intensity, he works hard to get better and has high tactical intelligence and passing skills.
"An offensive eight should be his best position. His style is based on good skills and passing. He's not slow. In Derby he should play a good role.
"We are a bit surprised that Fraulo didn't play any role at Borussia over the past three seasons.
"There should be much to come from him when he has playing time."
Image source, Getty ImagesSinners star and Derby County fan Jack O'Connell has said that the Rams are "very fortunate" to have boss John Eustace at the helm.
Eustace had already made an impression on the Hollywood actor as a player in a Derby shirt and he has now been "impressed" with what the 46-year-old has had to offer from the manager's seat.
"I love him. I think he's got the potential to be one of our top managers... ever," O'Connell told BBC Radio Derby during their Sportscene call-in.
"I loved him in a Derby shirt and I think now is the time to back him because it does feed onto the field.
"I think in a couple of transfer windows' time, he'll make a difference and he will be able to implement his philosophy properly onto the club and that's when we will know."
As for how the Rams have performed so far this season, while he feels "it could be better", O'Connell called for some perspective as they continue to recover from their financial turmoil of the past.
"I'm gasping for a bit of mid-table mediocrity this year and to just have it all wrapped up in a month or two," O'Connell added. "If you zoom out a little bit, you have to have a bit of perspective. I couldn't be happier.
"It takes a while to really properly turn the club around when you consider where we were. The fact that we are being run correctly from the people upstairs is massive, the fact that we've been in a position where we can acquire the likes of Carlton Morris and [Lewis] Travis - they are top players.
"As frustrating as it is at times, it's been a whole lot worse."
Amelia Warren
Fan writer
Image source, ShutterstockDerby's tactics allow them to exploit Rhian Brewster's pace according to fan writer Amelia Warren
After coming through the ever-chaotic Christmas schedule, the Championship table has started to take its true shape.
For Derby this means sitting comfortably in 13th position, 11 points off the bottom three, with much less to be worried about than this time last season.
The Rams have won the same amount of games as they have lost so far in this campaign and also have an underwhelming goal difference of zero.
However, despite that, it is better than the two sides who currently sit directly above them in the table, with Leicester and QPR standing on -1.
Squad depth and injuries have definitely played a part in Derby's unsettled form, and the Rams' current league position is probably an accurate reflection of the performances we have seen.
One thing I feel has contributed to the form, aside from personnel, is Derby's style of play.
Honestly, I am a fan of John Eustace. I can understand we do not produce the most thrilling displays, but with the squad we have I think the coaching staff are tactically limited with what they can achieve, and we do not have many options to play differently.
The position we find ourselves in is actually fairly impressive to me considering we have limited resources and lost our talisman to injury just over a third of the way through the season.
One thing we have seen the Rams prove this season, is they are a much better 'sit in and play on the break' side, than they are a 'dictate play and take the game to the opposition' team.
This makes them a better away outfit than at home. A point backed-up further by Derby currently having the lowest average possession stats in the whole division, with just 41.9%.
Looking at the home form table compared to the away form table for this season so far Derby rank 20th inside their own stadium, compared to fifth when on our travels.
The best recent example of us benefiting from playing to our strengths on the road came against Birmingham City.
Looking at the goal that was scored by Patrick Agyemang - Derby won the ball back in their own half and instantly launched a forward ball for the pace of Rhian Brewster to run onto. We all know what happened after that.
That is what Derby have been about this season, turning over quickly, breaking, looking to hit the wide areas in behind, and capitalising on their opponents' errors.
Why is this more effective away from home?
Teams tend to be much more aggressive at home than they are away, which presents Derby with many more opportunities to play on the break.
I cannot say it is the most impressive way of playing, but it suits the personnel we have available to us, and it is effective enough to keep us out of danger.
The Rams at the moment are in a transition period and are clearly building for stability, looking to push on next season when we can have an overhaul of the playing staff in the summer and finally have realistic ambitions for the Championship top six again.
For now, it is about accepting our level and knowing we will remain stable which is what we have all cried out for since 2021.
Image source, ShutterstockDerby County boss John Eustace has rued his side's lack of quality in the final third after their 2-1 loss to Wrexham on Sunday.
The Rams had equalised against the Welsh side through Ben Brereton Diaz but Wrexham restored their one goal advantage shortly after half-time.
"I think we deserved at least a point, the way we started the game was not great, and going a goal down was poor," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.
"We grew into the first half, we scored a great goal and felt very comfortable, I thought we were very strong.
"Then we started the second half like we started the first half. We wanted to go out there, be on the front foot and we made a couple of mistakes and got punished by a fantastic goal.
"We huffed and puffed in the second half and just lacked that bit of quality in the final third to make something happen."
Derby County head coach John Eustace spoke to BBC Radio Derby following Thursday's 1-0 win against Middlesbrough.
"We started slow and the opposition had two or three really good chances and we rode our luck, but as the game went on we grew into it and adapted a couple of things," he said.
"In the second half I felt a lot more comfortable with out shape. We knew we would get a couple of opportunities and I'm delighted to end up winning 1-0.
"Where we lack with a little bit of quality, we make up with determination, grit and heart. I know that group of players will sweat blood for these fans and I think they did that today.
"They really dug in at difficult moments against a really top team."
