Derby County are in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer after recent departures and are eyeing up a former Premier League star, according to the latest reports.
Earlier today, Scott Loach announced that he would be retiring from football at the age of 36, thus ending his two-year stay at Pride Park following promotion to the Championship. The former Lincoln City and Watford goalkeeper made just three appearances for the club in his two seasons in Derbyshire, none of which were in the league.
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Meanwhile, Joe Wildsmith will also leave Paul Warne’s squad in less than a fortnight when his contract with Derby expires. The 28-year-old is now in the hunt for a new club but won’t be short of offers, having won League One’s Golden Glove award last season as he kept 20 clean sheets in 40 matches – an average of one every two games.
It’s clear that Derby County need to strengthen their goalkeeping department this summer and Derbyshire Live have even revealed that this is a key priority for Warne and the board. One man who had been linked with a move to the Rams is Viktor Johansson. Warne was reportedly keen to reunite with the Swedish shot-stopper, having signed him at Rotherham United. However, Stoke City won the race for the 25-year-old’s signature as the Potters paid his £1 million release clause.
Nevertheless, Derbyshire Live have returned with a fresh report, citing rumours in The Netherlands, which state that Derby are looking to sign Mathew Ryan this summer who is set to leave AZ Alkmaar in Holland as a free agent at the end of the month.
Ryan, who has 93 caps for Australia, has plenty of experience in the Premier League and abroad, having played for clubs such as Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Valencia, Club Brugge, Real Sociedad and Copenhagen.
Writer’s View
This would be a huge coup for Derby County if they managed to secure the services of the 32-year-old once his deal with AZ Alkmaar expires in less than two weeks. The Australian has a wealth of experience between the sticks, playing in some of Europe’s top divisions while featuring in three consecutive World Cups for his country.
However, whether the impressive goalkeeper will drop down to the second division of English football, having played 124 times in the Premier League, is a whole other issue. He is also said to be on £10,000 per week, as per Capology, which may be outside the Rams’ budget.
Deputy Head of Writing
