An update from BBC Sport claims that Derby County have moved to sign a “game-changer” of a striker in the January transfer window.
Derby eyeing new striker
The Rams have been linked with plenty of attacking players during the January transfer window, with manager Paul Warne seeing it as a key area to improve in before the end of the month. A recent report suggested that Derby have made a “very good” offer to sign a striker, but the individual in question wasn’t named, leading to plenty of guesses from supporters. One player who it could potentially be is Sheffield Wednesday ace Michael Smith, who has been backed for a reunion with Warne after enjoying a successful time together at Rotherham United in the relatively recent past.
Another possible target is Bradford City forward Jake Young, who has scored 16 goals in 22 starts in League Two this season, as he enjoys a successful period on loan at Swindon Town. He was seen as an alternative to Corey Blackett-Taylor, however, who has now sealed a move to the Rams this month, which may end their interest in the former.
Now, another significant update has emerged regarding Derby’s business in the January window, and it seems the whispers around Smith were in the right vicinity.
Michael Smith transfer update
According to BBC Sport Derby on X, Derby have tabled a loan offer for Sheffield Wednesday striker Smith, although the finances of the deal are looking slightly tricky.
“BBC Derby Sport understands Derby County have made a loan offer for Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith including a significant wage contribution but we’re told the Owls are demanding an excessive fee in return. Smith has made 14 league appearances this season.”
Smith could be an excellent option for Derby, as they look to bring in extra firepower to give themselves the best possible opportunity of making the leap from League One to the Championship this season.
Granted, the 32-year-old has struggled to make an impact in a relegation-threatened Owls side of late, only scoring three goals in 14 Championship appearances this term, but he may flourish in the league below, especially under a manager that he knows so well in Warne. Former Wednesday boss Darren Moore has heaped praise on him in the past, saying:
“Michael Smith is a game-changer today. The quality showed at the end of it, and that’s what Michael is. He was in the right place at the right time and that’s what quality strikers do.”
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Derby have made “very good” offer to sign new forward
A bid is believed to have been submitted.
That seems like a good way to describe Smith, whose aerial ability and eye for goal can impact any game on his day, and he scored 37 League One goals in 2021/22 and 2022/23 combined – the first was at Rotherham and the other was with the Owls – showing that he can be a real force in the division that Derby are currently trying to get out of.
