Blackburn Rovers have joined Championship rivals Preston North End and Derby County in the race to sign Hull City defender Cody Drameh.
Preston and Derby have both reportedly had offers turned down from Hull for the defender. North End’s verbal permanent offer has been rejected, while Derby’s loan approach has also been turned down.
Lancashire rivals Blackburn have now joined in the race for the 23-year-old, who has been valued at around £1 million by the Tigers.
Drameh’s Season
Despite only joining last summer, for a compensation fee, the England Under-21 international could leave the MKM Stadium permanently, with rival Championship sides interested.
The 23-year-old played 29 times in black and amber this season, 28 of which came in the second tier. He struggled for minutes at the back end of the season under now former manager Ruben Selles, but has played almost 100 Championship games in his career for the likes of Birmingham City, Luton Town, Leeds United and Cardiff City.
Why He’s An Ideal Signing
Paul Heckingbottom’s side look like they are set to permanently lose versatile loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who has been linked with other Championship outfits as he looks to move away from Premier League side Aston Villa. Drameh has proved to be versatile himself, playing both fullback roles as well as roles at wingback. He would be an ideal replacement for Kesler-Hayden, who has been so consistent for Preston this season.
Lancashire rivals Blackburn are in a similar position, with multiple players departing Ewood Park at the end of their contracts. From the players who are still under contract, they do need to recruit in defensive areas, as they seem to have a lack of defensive options going into next season.
Derby manager John Eustace has previously worked with Drameh before at Birmingham, where the defender made 30 appearances on loan from Leeds United during the 2023/24 season. As mentioned above, the Rams have already had a loan proposal turned down by the Tigers, however, it is believed that Eustace could push for a permanent move for the 23-year-old.
Young, yet experienced, the wingback could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for any club who manages to complete the deal.
Writer’s View
The fact that three fellow third-tier sides are interested in Drameh is no shock. Although he’s had a rocky start to life at Hull, he’s impressed in several loan spells at this level. He’s not been helped by the fact that his club had an awful season, avoiding relegation on goal difference and being under the management of three different people, including interim managers at the MKM Stadium.
It will be interesting to see which club gets the deal over the line, with Drameh having the choice and the possibility of playing under a familiar manager at Derby available, but also the opportunity to join two other clubs who will be looking to further push up the table.
