Derby County are in the market for a playmaker this summer and have identified a player who recently played for bitter rivals Nottingham Forest, according to reports.
Following promotion back to the Championship for the first time in two years, the Rams are looking for players to bolster their first-team squad in the hopes of surviving in England’s second tier next season under the guidance of Paul Warne.
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It was reported over the past few weeks that Derby had identified Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson and Charlton Athletic fullback Thierry Small as key targets this summer. Unfortunately, the Swedish shot-stopper signed for fellow Championship outfit Stoke City after the Potters paid his £1 million release clause, while Charlton triggered a one-year contract extension in Small’s contract, meaning Warne missed out on both players.
Now, a new name has cropped up on the radar of Derby County after he was made a free agent this past week. According to a report from AfricaFoot, via Derbyshire Live, Warne’s side are one of several clubs set to battle it out for Ateef Konate who left the City Ground having failed to make a single appearance in the top-flight.
The outlet are claiming that the Rams face stiff competition for the French playmaker’s signature, with Championship sides Sunderland and Leeds United interested in his signature, while recently-relegated League One club Huddersfield Town have also joined the race.
The 23-year-old has only ever featured three times for Forest in all competitions, all of which came in the 2021/22 campaign. However, in 55 matches for the U21s, Konate bagged 22 goals and recorded 12 assists. Now, it is time for the next step in his footballing journey.
Writer’s View
Derby County face some tough competition to sign Konate this summer. On the one hand, Sunderland is perhaps the club that can offer him the greatest chance of a return to the Premier League but a switch to Pride Park in the same division may also prove to be an enticing prospect for the attacking midfielder given it is so closer to his home in Nottingham.
Nonetheless, Huddersfield are potentially the team that can offer him the best opportunity to play regular men’s football, something he was starved of with the Tricky Trees. There are also offers from teams in Belgium so it will be interesting to see where Konate ends up once the new season commences.
Deputy Head of Writing
