Derby County should go back in for an EFL sensation Wayne Rooney tried to sign in 2022.
Derby are preparing for a busy summer of spending after returning to the Championship.
The Rams have 12 first-team players whose contracts expire in June, leaving Paul Warne with some key decisions to make.
The club are yet to announce the official release/retained list, but once they do, supporters will have an idea of where needs strengthening.
As it stands, investing in attacking players is a priority over defensive talents. While Warne’s men had the most watertight defence in the league, their goalscoring can be improved, having netted the joint least goals (78) of sides that finished in the play-offs.
Warne has already said he’ll be scouting Denmark and the Netherlands for any gems he can find, but the 50-year-old should look at one player in England to bolster his attack.
Derby County tried to sign Luke Molyneux in 2022
Wayne Rooney tried to sign forward Luke Molyneux on a free transfer from Hartlepool United in the summer of 2022.
The former Manchester United striker wanted to bolster his attack to launch a promotion challenge out of League One.
Rooney ended up stepping down as Derby manager a month after those links surfaced and just before David Clowes assumed control of the club.
Molyneux attracted interest from the Rams after scoring eight goals in League Two, with the 26-year-old instead joining Doncaster Rovers.
Now, the Englishman has played a pivotal role in firing Doncaster into the play-offs and just scored in their first-leg tie against Crewe Alexandra.
The dynamic attacker has produced double figures for goals and assists in this campaign, which should prompt Derby to go back in for him.
Derby County should launch a move for Luke Molyneux
Molyneux was the second most productive player in the EFL during April, with the fleet-footed forward netting four goals and supplying three assists.
His purple patch in form coincided with Doncaster flying into the play-offs after fighting relegation for most of the campaign.
As a result of his rise towards stardom, journalist Ricky Charlesworth lauded him as “ridiculous” and Warne should certainly look at adding the winger to his ranks.
Molyneux’s contract expires in a few months, and while Doncaster are desperate to renew, they can’t stand in the players’ way if Derby launch a move.
The Rams currently lack a right-sided winger and Molyneux, while untested at Championship level, would add a great deal of depth and quality to their right flank.
On a free transfer, signing him would be low risk, but watching him flourish in the second tier could deliver huge rewards.
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