Derby County are reportedly battling with five other EFL clubs to complete the signing of an "accomplished" new defender in the summer transfer window.
Derby planning for Championship return
The Rams enjoyed a triumphant 2023/24 season, sealing promotion from League One and ensuring they returned to the Championship for the first time since the 2021/22 campaign. It was a tremendous effort from Paul Warne and his players, but the key now is to kick on in the second tier, ensuring that they don't suffer a quickfire relegation back to where they were last term.
In order for that to happen, Derby will need to make a number of important signings in the summer transfer window, and they have been linked with plenty of individuals of late.
Versatile Sheffield United ace Ben Osborn has been touted as a standout addition for the Rams in the coming weeks and months, and it now even looks as though a move is all but done, with a medical reportedly booked in.
On the flip side, some current Rams players could move on before next season gets underway, with veteran striker James Collins backed to be moved on, as was the case with highest-earner Conor Hourihane.
Derby want in-demand new defender
According to a fresh claim from HITC, Derby are one of six EFL clubs interested in signing Gateshead defender Kenton Richardson in the summer window.
A reunion with Sunderland is mooted in the report, having left the Black Cats back in 2022, while Oxford United, Peterborough United, Barnsley and Notts County are all mentioned as potential suitors, too.
Richardson may not be the renowned type of player that many Derby fans will want to see come in this summer, but he could be an interesting signing who is coming into the peak years of his career. The 25-year-old has proven to be a rock at the heart of Gateshead's defence, and his performances helped them secure FA Trophy glory at Wembley back in May, following a penalty shootout win over Solihull Moors.
Meanwhile, he was once lauded by former Hartlepool manager Dave Jones during his stint there during his teenage years, with his ex-boss saying of him: "He’s only 17 but he looked accomplished too. What great experience that will have been for him."
Admittedly, Richardson isn't exactly experienced when it comes to the Championship, never featuring in the competition to date, but he has played once for England's C team and also made 20 appearances in League Two and the FA Cup combined, showing that he has some pedigree.
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Perhaps most significant is the fact that the centre-back will be available on a free transfer at the end of this month, so even if he does join Derby and struggles to cut the mustard, the Rams won't have splashed out a huge sum of money on him. Essentially, it feels like a relatively cheap risk worth taking, giving Warne more defensive options in the process.