Derby County have opened talks with Championship side Rotherham over a transfer for forward Conor Washington, as Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reported.
Washington, who is 31 years old, is in the final year of his contract at Rotherham and Derby have opened talks in an attempt to bring the Northern Ireland international to Pride Park this summer.
The forward featured 37 times for the Millers last season, scoring six goals for the club in all competitions and Paul Warne is set to come knocking for the versatile forward, who can play out wide on either side.
It would not be the first time that Warne and Washington have linked up, with the Rams boss signing the forward during his tenure at Queens Park Rangers.
Washington signed at Loftus Road in 2016 and remained with the club until 2018 when his contract was terminated by mutual consent. During his time in West London, he made 92 appearances, scoring 13 goals for the club. He joined Rotherham last summer, with his contract expiring at League One side Charlton Athletic. Over the two years he spent at the Valley, he made 71 appearances, scoring 22 goals.
The Irishman is experienced internationally as well, with 37 caps for Northern Ireland, scoring five goals for his country in that time. A handful of those caps came during Euro 2016, where the side reached the round of 16 before being eliminated by Wales.
Derby are in the market for a striker after losing David McGoldrick to recently promoted Notts County. The 35-year-old was the club’s top scorer last season but chose not to extend his contract with the Rams, as he returned to boyhood club Notts County following their fantastic season in the National League, which saw them return to the English Football League.
However, the Rams will be limited in what they can spend this window after having their transfer embargo lifted from the club recently, they are free to spend funds this summer, however, it is not known just how much they can spend. The club are currently seeking a return to the Championship, their first attempt saw them fall short of the playoffs, finishing in seventh, behind Peterborough on goal difference.
Writer’s View
Derby are clearly trying to build something for next season, on paper they look like one of the stronger teams in League One and are many people’s favourites to go up next season. However, there are gaps in the squad they need to fill first and a striker is one of them. Washington could be a solid replacement for McGoldrick, he has spent time in League One, narrowly missing out on promotion with Charlton and has Championship and international experience.
