Derby County

A new episode of BBC Radio Derby's Rams Weekly podcast is now available.

Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie is joined by Dominic Dietrich and Ed Dawes as they bring you the podcast live from Bustler in Derby.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Derby County content on BBC Sounds

Derby are in talks with West Brom over a move for 31-year-old midfielder Alex Mowatt and the Rams also remain keen on bringing 27-year-old Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz back to Pride Park from Southampton. (John Percy, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

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West Bromwich Albion have rejected an offer from fellow Championship club Derby County for midfielder Alex Mowatt, reports BBC Radio WM.

Mowatt, 31, has a year remaining on his contract at The Hawthorns.

The former Leeds and Barnsley man has made 170 appearances for the Baggies since joining in 2021 and started Saturday's Carabao Cup win at Rotherham.

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby commentator

Image source, Getty Images

With the click of a button, a social media post on X, external dashed the hopes and dreams of many Derby County supporters, who would have woken up on Monday morning desperately checking their phones for news of a takeover at Pride Park Stadium.

Instead, there is disbelief among all of us who have followed this story throughout the summer. The promise of riches for the recruitment team at Moor Farm had the city on tenterhooks, hoping the powers that be could get the deal over the line.

The EFL and the Independent Football Regulator [IFR] had already given the deal with Turki Alalshikh's Lion Sport the green light, so what could go wrong? It was a sure thing, wasn't it?

No. Alalshikh's statement, claiming there was "not enough time" to get the club in shape ahead of the new season, raised more questions than it answered. The Saudi billionaire, who has made his name successfully in boxing, clearly needs to elaborate on his reasoning, because it does not stack up.

Head coach John Eustace needs transfer funds. The dead wood in the squad has been shipped out to accommodate new arrivals. Three weeks from today, the transfer window closes after the Rams' trip to Portsmouth on 1 September.

Anyone with a knowledge of football understands the ferocity of the deals completed in the final week, days and hours of a transfer window. "Here you go, John, here's £20m," said nobody ever, but in essence it is as simple as that.

The club is debt-free. It has restaffed since administration and is being run properly under the guidance of local hero David Clowes. So, what isn't attractive about that? There are no giant bills to pay as part of the deal. Clowes Developments gets its money back and off you go.

Derby County is not a plaything. It is the beating heart of a hard-working community, allowing people to switch their focus for 90 minutes from the daily grind and the difficulties of life in 2026.

As we saw during the difficult administration period, the Rams will rally, the club will galvanise and life will continue as normal. Eustace will get blood from a stone and supporters will cheer his name.

You don't miss what you never had.

The 72+ podcast is BACK and it's got a brand new home.

Follow along as Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff dive into the biggest stories across the EFL, with expert analysis, exclusive guests and the moments everyone is talking about.

A new episode drops on Tuesday night so make sure not to miss it by clicking subscribe on the new 72+: The EFL Podcast BBC Sounds page here.

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Can't get enough of your beloved Championship club? Fear not.

BBC Sport covers all 24 Championship sides with dedicated online and radio reporters at hand to tell the story from every angle.

Expect match reports, analysis, in-depth features, interviews, fan views, quizzes - the works.

We'll also have live text pages for every Championship match this season so you won't miss any of the action even when you're out of town.

Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.

Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.

And when following your Championship team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications which gives you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.

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Rochdale have signed Derby County forward Dajaune Brown on a season-long loan deal.

The 20-year-old Jamaica international scored one goal in 24 league appearances on loan at Port Vale last season.

He could make his Dale debut in Saturday's Carabao Cup first-round tie at Bradford City.

"He's someone we've been chasing all summer and identified early on," boss Ian Watson told the club website., external

BBC Radio Derby's Rams Weekly podcast has returned.

Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie is joined by Dominic Dietrich and Ed Dawes to dive into the Rams' summer and what the expectations will be for the new season.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Follow more Derby County content on BBC Sounds

Aman Mahmood
BBC Sport England

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Mansfield Town have signed Derby County midfielder Liam Thompson for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old came through the Rams' youth setup and made 124 appearances for the Championship club.

Thompson has signed a two-year deal at Nigel Clough's League One Stags.

"He's capable of playing in a couple of positions and will add real tenacity to our midfield," Clough told the Mansfield website., external

"Liam brings great energy, works hard and is a strong all-round midfielder."

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Derby wrapped up their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Rotherham United last night.

The result meant the Rams finished with two wins, three defeats, and one draw from their six pre-season fixtures.

Is losing 50% their friendlies something to be worried about? I personally don't think so.

Last year the Rams drew once, lost once, and won four of their warm-up games. However, it would be fair to say that the majority of these games were played against generally weaker opponents than the teams Derby came up against this year.

What we have seen throughout this run of fixtures are very telling choices made by John Eustace.

Opting to rest Carlton Morris last night to have him fit and available for Saturday's Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln City, I believe sends out a signal of intent that Derby want to take the competition seriously and want to put out a team good enough to win the game, not just compete well.

Ultimately, these pre-season friendlies are never about results, they're much more about getting to see how new players can bed into the squad, building up minutes for those who have returned from injury, and experimenting with different personnel combinations and shapes.

The likes of Filip Bilbija and Charlie Taylor have been given valuable minutes to help them integrate into the side, which has also allowed Eustace to get an idea of what kind of role he would like them to play going forward into the new campaign, and allowed him to see first hand how they will fit into his system.

These things are key to test out in pre-season. For Eustace, he can go into competitive matches with a clearer understanding of who he will prefer in certain positions and of what his ideal starting XI will look like, without having to continue 'experimenting' when the pressure is on and points matter.

For the players, it's about getting to grips with Eustace's playing style, but it's also important for them to build an understanding and a connection with their team-mates.

For those who have returned from loan spells and injury, such as Corey Blackett-Taylor and Dajaune Brown, pre-season has provided them with the opportunity to build their fitness back up, but also compete for their places in Eustace's long term plans and fight to remain Derby County players.

After it was starting to feel as though we would be unlikely to see Blackett-Taylor play competitively for Derby again, suddenly he has perhaps given himself a good case to be in the starting line-up on Saturday, after being the Rams' brightest spark during the second half of last night's game.

On paper, the Rams have produced below average results since 17 July when they kicked off their pre-season. However, despite these results I think Eustace's playing style has been implemented well throughout the friendlies, even when it has led to players making mistakes, like when Derby conceded last night.

In my opinion, that's what pre-season is all about, trial and error, getting things wrong to help things eventually go right, and allowing everybody to adapt and be on the same page, manager, coaching staff and players alike.

It is no secret that Derby need to recruit further before the summer transfer window closes on 1 September but they remain in a comfortable position to start the season positively and I believe they will do just that on Saturday when they face Lincoln City at Pride Park.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

There has been a lot of talk around Derby County and potential investment or a takeover but boss John Eustace only has eyes on the development of his squad.

Saudi Arabia government official Turki Alalshikh's cash injection into the Rams is expected to be finalised within the coming days.

Eustace, though, is not looking to "take seriously" the deal until it goes through and says, right now, he's got a squad to build.

Derby have only recruited four players so far this summer.

"I spoke to the club and they've mentioned there is a takeover but I think there's been about three takeovers since I've been here and it was the same at previous clubs as well," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"It is obviously a difficult time with things going on off the pitch at the moment with potential takeovers and whatnot and I get that, but we are two weeks away from the big kick-off and I want to bring in as many quality players as I can."

• Listen to the full interview above or on BBC Sounds here

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Nineteen-year-old Scotland youth goalkeeper Alfie Halliwell is on trial at Derby County, having left Rangers this summer. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Sammie Szmodics is reportedly nearing a return to Derby County from Ipswich Town after spending the second half of last season on loan at Pride Park.

BBC Radio Derby's Ed Dawes and Rams fan writer Amelia Warren discuss how the 30-year-old could be utilised in the 2026-27 campaign.

Listen to their analysis above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore more Derby County content on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Derby County are edging closer to bringing Ipswich forward Sammie Szmodics back to the club.

The Rams are trying to sign the 30-year-old in a deal worth more than £4m after he spent the second half of last season at the Championship club.

If the move goes through he will link up with boss John Eustace for a third time, having also worked with him at Blackburn.

Republic of Ireland international Szmodics scored three goals in 13 games as Derby finished eighth last term, four points adrift of the play-offs.

Under Eustace at Blackburn he won the division's Golden Boot when he scored 27 goals in 2023-24.

Ipswich have been open to letting Szmodics leave this summer but he has been with the group during pre-season.

They paid Blackburn £9m in 2024 and he has scored five goals in 39 appearances for the Tractor Boys.

Derby County and Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, 28, is attracting interest from French club Lyon. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Thursday's full gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Boston United have signed defender Jake Rooney after he was released by Derby County.

The 22-year-old returns to the Jakemans Community Stadium, having made 16 appearances on loan from the Rams last season as the Pilgrims finished 12th in the National League.