Paul Warne says Derby County’s recent performances have not altered his thinking for the January transfer window.
The market opens tomorrow, and Derby aim to strengthen the top end of the pitch, although no signings are imminent. The club will have to make departures to bring in players, and Joe Ward has recently been linked with Oxford and Portsmouth.
Conor Washington has yet to kick a ball this season for Derby and is another contender who could be set to leave the club in the New Year. Derby currently sit 16th in the table and have produced some impressive performances of late with the 2-1 win over West Brom and the 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth standing out.
But asked whether that has changed his thinking as to what he craves in January, Derby’s head coach Warne said: “No, not really. I know we need strengthening, the same as I’ve always thought so nothing’s changed on that.
“I think there are levels and we always want to try and improve every window. This one’s no different.”
Derby have already been linked with a host of attacking players with Aston Villa’s Louie Barry among them now that he has been recalled from his loan at Stockport.
This week, Liverpool’s talented young forward Jayden Danns was said to be a target while reports in Holland claim they are taking an interest in Aris Limassol’s Dutch attacker Jaden Montnor. Derby will back Warne in the market but it will be in keeping with the club’s sensible financial policy.
In a message to supporters on Christmas Eve, owner David Clowes wrote: “I know the transfer window is just a week or so away and there will be furious speculation amongst fans as to what might happen. We’re not going to be so naïve as to play out all our work publicly, that would be foolish.
“What I will say is that there have been extremely calm and measured discussions with Paul Warne, he has outlined exactly the areas he feels we need to improve, and we have agreed with his strategy and will do our utmost to meet his requests.
“We have stuck firmly to the business plan and that means there are both funds available and space within the squad to strengthen without threatening our financial position. There will be no panic, no mad splurges that go against our plans, we will operate in a way that maintains our stability while adding quality to an already talented squad.”