Derby County have maintained a standard by getting into the playoff spots more often than not. However, they are failing to cross the final few hurdles. Last season they came close again as they reached the playoff finals but lost to Aston Villa.
Signing young players on loan from Premier League clubs is an effective way to move up a division and one player who played a prominent role for the Rams last season was Fikayo Tomori who was chosen as the club’s player of the season.
However, it is unlikely (Evening Standard) now that Derby will be able to land him again as Chelsea want to test him at a higher level and are unwilling to send him to the Championship. The club needs to bring in a standout centre back option and here are three Tomori-Esque signings the club can look to sign on loan from Premier League clubs.
Axel Tuanzebe
The Manchester United man had a similar story to Tomori as he helped Aston Villa at the back after joining on loan. Tuanzebe is a quick and physical centre half, and he showed his worth at the Championship level last season. The move could probably hinge on whether Manchester United can sign someone like Harry Magure with whom they have been heavily linked. Tuanzebe is likely to find it hard to get game time at the Old Trafford, and another loan spell could be on the cards.
Filip Benkovic
The Leicester City defender spent the last season on loan with Celtic, and he won major praise for his performances. The Croatian centre half has everything to his game to thrive in the Championship as he is calm and composed on the ball and physically strong. He stands in at 6ft4, so that also helps. The 22-year-old is surprisingly quick for a defender of that size, and we think he would fit in very well in the Championship.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
Greek defender Maropanos has been at Arsenal since January 2018, but he has only managed to make 6 Premier League starts. He impressed in some fixtures for Arsenal, but it seems like he will continue to struggle to get game time at the club. The 21-year-old is seen as a massive talent in Greece, and his strength and physicality make him a standout option.
There is no doubt that he needs to play regularly in England to develop his game and Derby County should queue up to bring him on a season-long loan at Pride Park.
