Derby County are interested in completing the signing of a free agent once described as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer, but they aren't alone in the chase for a new goalscorer.
Derby transfer news & promotion hopes
The January transfer window is now done and dusted for another year, meaning Paul Warne knows he won't be available to spend on new signings until the summer, barring the acquisition of free agents. While January proved to be a relatively quiet month for the Rams, they did bring in Charlton Athletic attacker Corey Blackett-Taylor on loan, which could prove to be an excellent piece of business by the club by the time May arrives.
While he is yet to score or assist in his first two appearances in a Derby shirt, eight and six apiece for Charlton earlier in the season suggests that he will provide firepower in his side's League One promotion quest, as they look to return to the Championship.
Warne's side sit right in the promotion picture currently, finding themselves fourth in the league table and only one point behind the automatic promotion spots, albeit having played two games more than second-place Bolton Wanderers.
This suggests that Derby were right not to bring in a host of new players, with the manager generally happy with the squad that he has, but a new update claims that a well-known player is being looked at as an option.
Derby want Dwight Gayle
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Derby are keen on signing free agent Dwight Gayle, with the striker without a club after leaving Stoke City on deadline day. They are far from alone in showing an interest, though, with some Championship teams believed to be in the mix, too.
"Charlton, Barnsley, Derby County, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday are already showing interest in Dwight Gayle. He’s now available as free agent after terminating contract at Stoke City."
At 34 years of age, Gayle is admittedly not getting any younger and may not be the striker he used to be, but that's not to say that he wouldn't be a shrewd short-term acquisition by Derby. The Englishman has a wealth of experience at a high level, not least scoring 26 times in the Premier League and on 62 occasions in the Championship, and Newcastle United legend Shearer lauded him back in 2020 after he scored a goal for the former England striker's beloved Magpies:
"Oh yessssssss Dwight Gayle! A magnificent header from a great cross Jacob Murphy! Toon! Toon."
Premier League
145
26
Championship
145
62
League Two
18
7
The fact that Gayle would join for free erases the risk element of spending lots of money on him, so Derby could almost see it as something of a free hit. If he comes in and scores goals, helping the Rams go up this season, it will be a roaring success, and if he fails to impress it won't be the end of the world, allowing him to move on at the end of the season.