Derby County have been placed on red alert after it was confirmed that defender Haydon Roberts will leave Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion this summer, according to Derbyshire Live.
Defender Roberts, who spent last season on loan at Pride Park from the Premier League outfit, has confirmed he will be leaving the AMEX Stadium in the summer upon the expiration of his contract, with Derby seemingly keen to tie down the 21-year-old to a permanent deal following the departures of fellow defenders Curtis Davies, Richard Stearman and James Chester.
Who is Haydon Roberts?
Haydon Roberts has been on the books of Brighton and Hove Albion ever since coming through the academy ranks at the club, with his professional first-team debut coming in the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa in September 2019, in which he scored Brighton’s only goal of the game as they fell to a 3-1 defeat.
Capable of playing as a left wing-back as well as centre-half, Roberts would make a further two appearances for Brighton’s first team before eventually making the move to Rochdale on a season-long loan deal in October 2020 for regular game time. During his brief spell at the Crown Oil Arena, Roberts made 26 appearances for the club in a season in which Rochdale would be relegated to League Two, finishing 21st in the league.
The 21-year-old would return to Brighton the next season and played a further three times for the club, with all three of those appearances coming in the Carabao Cup as the Seagulls would go on to lose on penalties to Leicester City in the fourth round.
Roberts would go out on loan again, this time, on a season-long loan to Derby County in July 2022 as they looked to return to the Championship at the first time of asking following relegation from the second division in the previous campaign.
Quickly becoming a fan favourite for the Rams, Roberts and Derby County would eventually miss out on a place in the League One playoffs by one point, with Peterborough United pipping the club to a sixth-place finish with the defender making 46 appearances for Derby in all competitions throughout the season, scoring twice.
What was said?
Confirming his exit from Brighton and Hove Albion via his official Instagram account, Roberts said: “Thank you for everything over the last eight years. I’m looking forward to what God has next for me.”
Alongside that, Derby County boss Paul Warne has admitted he would like to sign the 21-year-old as he “ticks the boxes” as to what he’s after, with discussions ongoing with his agent in an attempt to make something happen.
Speaking to Derbyshire Live about Roberts’ performance in the Rams’ 1-1 draw with MK Dons on the 10th of April, Warne said: “I thought Haydon was excellent, he’s got a real ability to travel with the ball and he’s deceptively quick with it at his feet. He was a real standout performer and I am really pleased with him.
“He is my kind of player. He is coachable, he is athletic, he is aggressive and he wants to get better. We have conversations with players all the time and that will continue.”
Writer’s View
It’s no secret that Paul Warne and Derby County are huge admirers of Haydon Roberts following his loan spell with the club last season, with the defender cementing himself in the first-team picture at the Rams and quickly becoming a fan favourite in the process.
With Roberts confirming that he is to leave Brighton and Hove Albion with his contract at the club set to expire, there are sure to be clubs interested in the 21-year-olds’ signature, with Derby County backing themselves as firm favourites following his successful loan spell at Pride Park.
Wherever he ends up, signing Roberts could be seen as a coup for whoever was to sign him but with Derby seemingly really interested in bringing the defender back on a permanent deal, it could represent excellent business for the Rams as they look to build a squad capable of being a force in League One next season, with a return to the Championship the ultimate aim.
