adminJohn Eustace may be forced into Derby County decision this summer that will leave him with a transfer headache
It was an exciting end to the season for Derby County, and one that almost mirrored the opening weeks as they went from strength-to-strength in their bid for survival.
John Eustace was praised by Ebou Adams after keeping the Rams in the Championship on the final day of the campaign, and now full attention is on the transfer window – which reopened on Monday morning.
Derby are yet to make a signing this summer, but the East Midlands outfit are keen on Lewis Travis, while Paudie O’Connor has been locked in talks with the Rams.
There is a new Chief Financial Officer at Pride Park and supporters will be hoping for an update on the potential investment at the club soon. However, there is one problem that could arise that Derby may have not foreseen this time last year.
Josh Vickers may look for Derby County exit this summer
Josh Vickers made six appearances for the Rams in 2024/25, keeping three clean sheets and conceding just six goals during those games.
He spent time in Derby’s starting XI ahead of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom’s arrival, before ending the campaign between the posts as the Swedish shot-stopper suffered a fractured eye socket.
However, it seems likely that Zetterstrom will make his way straight into the team when the new season begins after a strong first year in England, and for Vickers, a move away in the transfer window could be on the cards to allow him consistent football.
Vickers struggled to get in front of Joe Wildsmith in 2023/24, and it is clear to see he has been the second-choice ‘keeper throughout his time at Pride Park, and he may try to force a transfer so that he can become the number one at another side.
John Eustace has benefitted greatly from Josh Vickers
While this summer could be his last at Pride Park, Vickers has been excellent for the Rams since joining and he has stepped up to the plate when required.
He made some excellent saves at the end of the season, with two crucial clean sheets against Hull City and Stoke City ensuring that his side stayed in the division.
But the 29-year-old does deserve the chance to become a number one, and with that unlikely to happen at Derby, he may have to look away from the East Midlands.
This leaves John Eustace with a huge transfer headache, and he will be forced into signing a new goalkeeper if Vickers does decide to leave.
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