John Eustace has suggested his intention to pursue potential free agent signings less than a week after being officially unveiled as Derby County head coach.
The ex-Rams midfielder, who himself moved to Pride Park as a free agent all the way back in 2013, left his post with play-off chasing Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers in order to return to the East Midlands and succeed Paul Warne as Derby bid to stay in the division this season.
He was, however, offered a baptism of fire in his first game in charge as Derby slumped to a 4-0 defeat away to QPR on Friday evening, with goals from Ilias Chair, Koki Saito and Ronnie Edwards leaving the side inside the Championship’s bottom three.
Eustace suggested Derby would explore the free agent market in the wake of the loss at Loftus Road, telling the press: “It’s [free agents] something we can definitely have a look at.
“Obviously, you know, the last 24 hours I have had enough to think about, but yeah, that’s something we can look at for sure.”
Asked whether a fresh face will give the squad a lift, he added: “Yeah, maybe but, you know, the most important thing is that this group of players need some guidance.”
Of course, the caveat to free agent signings at this advanced stage of the domestic campaign is that many have not played football this season, meaning the acclimation process to returning to action could be extensive when Eustace’s squad is in need of immediate bolstering.
Nonetheless, there are some available candidates who could offer an impact in what remains of the Championship season, and Football League World has duly taken a look at five free agents Derby should consider following Eustace’s revelation.
Arnor Sigurdsson
A move for ex-Blackburn man Arnor Sigurdsson would make a great deal of sense given Eustace’s obvious connection to the Icelandic forward.
Sigurdsson’s contract with Blackburn, which was set to expire this summer, was terminated by mutual consent on Monday afternoon, a development that came after the attacker was left out of Rovers’ 25-man squad at the end of January.
The 25-year-old is now unattached and could be worth a punt for Derby, who are the fifth-lowest scorers in the Championship this season. Sigurdsson scored eight times from 41 appearances with Blackburn, but has made just seven appearances in an injury-ravaged 24/25 term.
While still in charge at Ewood Park, Eustace had hoped Sigurdsson – whom he dubbed a “top player” – would be back fit by the end of January. It’s not yet clear just where the former CSKA Moscow winger is at in his recovery process, but what we do know is he has not taken to the pitch since October.
Like with any free agent signings, pros and cons are aplenty with the potential acquisition of Sigurdsson. However, Derby desperately need reinforced options in wide areas, and it would be hoped Eustace may know how to get the best out of the highly-rated Iceland international.
Ryan Kent
Landing the signature of Ryan Kent, meanwhile, could prove an extremely impressive swoop if Derby were able to pull it off and unlock the obvious talent at the ex-Liverpool prospect’s disposal.
The 28-year-old remains without a club after his contract with Fenerbahce was terminated back in October, which concluded a forgettable stint in Türkiye. Kent only ever made 19 appearances for Fener, a stark contrast from the five largely-successful years he spent north of the border at Rangers.
Kent was a top performer for Rangers both domestically and in European competition. His pace and skill when standing up opposition defenders would likely stand out at Championship level and offer a new dimension to Derby’s attack, with wingers such as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kayden Jackson failing to deliver this term.
Of course, inconsistency has been a challenge for Kent throughout his career, which dates back to loan spells in the Championship with Barnsley and Bristol City when he was on Liverpool’s books.
But, his natural ability is much less of a contest and, for what it’s worth, he is perhaps the most gifted option on this list.
At 28, Kent urgently needs to revive his career and Pride Park could be the destination to do just that.
Brandon Williams
Although supplementing the left-back position may not be quite so pressing a priority for Eustace, it’s difficult to discuss attainable free agents without mentioning Brandon Williams.
Aged just 24, Williams has been without a club since his release from Manchester United last summer, which arrived months after a disappointing loan spell in the Championship with Ipswich Town.
Williams’ career has certainly taken a nosedive in recent times, with off-field controversies seemingly never too far away from the former England under-21 international.
That, coupled with his natural lack of match readiness, has surely been influential as to why he remains a free agent before even hitting a prime age, so to speak, and despite boasting serious top-flight pedigree.
The defender finds himself in a precarious position as far as his career is concerned. But if he is focused and ready to return to football, he would be a solid acquisition for a number of Championship clubs and could offer a sizable upgrade on Callum Elder in Eustace’s side.
Ivan Cavaleiro
Another intriguing, experienced potential capture in the wide areas could be that of Ivan Cavaleiro, who joined the free agent ranks on New Year’s Day when he left Brazilian side RB Bragantino.
The 31-year-old’s stock has just fallen somewhat in recent times, as he has undertaken disappointing short-term stints in both Brazil and in France with Lille after his exit from Fulham in the summer of 2023.
There are, however, no players on this list better-versed in the Championship than Cavaleiro, who boasts three Premier League promotions on his CV with Fulham and Wolves. The winger played a starring role in Wolves’ promotion as champions under Nuno Espírito Santo in the 2017/18 season, scoring nine goals and setting up a further 12.
Once again, fitness could be an issue, but Cavaleiro possesses bags of experience at this level and attacking X-Factor too, should he redeem the spark which saw him widely regarded among the most feared wide-men in the second-tier at Wolves and then with Fulham in the 2019/20 campaign.
The ex-Portugal international may be a few years past his best, but is still worth considering if Derby intend on potentially upgrading their presently-available options on the flanks.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah
The final inclusion here is Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who came through the ranks at Man United and was linked to a number of second-tier clubs in the window.
As per reports, the Dutchman was offered to the likes of Swansea City, Middlesbrough, QPR, Stoke City, Blackburn as well as both Rangers and Feyenoord, although it is believed they all turned against a move owing to fitness concerns.
That, of course, is the primary downside to recruiting free agents, and Fosu-Mensah would likely require time to get up to speed where Derby would really need any arrivals to be able to hit the ground running. Fosu-Mensah was most recently training with Ajax to maintain fitness, but it’s unclear whether he will be offered a formal contract back in his homeland, having been a free agent since his release from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Indeed, the 27-year-old has not taken to the pitch in two seasons. But, at 27, he is very much at a prime age and would offer the sort of versatility which Eustace would value and could pay dividends towards next term and beyond. Once billed as an exciting prodigy at Old Trafford, Fosu-Mensah is most at home playing at right-back but can play in the centre of defence or even in midfield.
He would cover multiple areas for Derby and has clear pedigree from spells with United and Leverkusen alongside loan spells at Crystal Palace and Fulham.
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