Derby County: Harvey Knibbs interest could be the end of Wolves loanee's tenure | OneFootball

The Wolves youngster has struggled since joining the Rams on loan, and new interest in Knibbs could see the end of his time at Pride Park.

Derby County's season has been a rollercoaster so far and the path that they are on has been trending down in recent weeks.

Their 1-0 defeat to Bristol City on Saturday was the ninth time that the Rams have lost on the road in 2024/25 and they look no closer to finding just their second away win of the campaign after beating Coventry City 2-1 at the start of November.

Pressure will start to mount on Paul Warne in the coming weeks as the bottom three start to close the gap to his team and there will be a real desire from supporters to see action in the transfer market, something that is currently needed.

However, there will need to be outgoings this month if any players are to join Derby, and the 51-year-old may have to let go one of his loanees to make space for Reading's Harvey Knibbs, who was linked with a move to Pride Park on Monday by The Telegraph's Mike McGrath.

Tawanda Chirewa must make way for Harvey Knibbs

Plans for the January transfer window will have been in place for a number of months but they are now set to be put into motion and they will likely have a direct impact on the Rams' finishing position in the Championship come the end of the season.

There is a desperate need to bring in more firepower up front, as well as in midfield, but the signing of Knibbs could have a direct impact on Tawanda Chirewa, who joined the club on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer.

The 21-year-old has found it extremely difficult to find a place in the team and performances have failed to excite supporters when he has made it onto the pitch.

His lack of physicality is at odds with what Warne traditionally looks for in a player and it is clear that he does not fit the system that has been in place by the 51-year-old, something that will not benefit his development.

Wolves will not want to see his game time limited even further, and his time at Derby could be cut short.

Knibbs offers more in front of goal than Chirewa, and at 25, he is a more proven player. The Rams cannot afford to let the opportunity of bringing in a talent like the Reading star go, and letting go of their loanee must happen to make space for him.

Harvey Knibbs' goal record speaks for itself

Derby are lacking a goalscorer from midfield this season, and while Ebou Adams has found the back of the net four times, this is not the part of his game that he was signed for, and it has just been a bonus.

Knibbs, however, focuses his play around scoring and providing assists, and he could be the perfect player to slot into the team and help propel them up the division.

He has already scored eight goals in League One in 2024/25 for Reading, helping the Royals into a play-off position despite their off-field problems.

The 25-year-old grew up in Derbyshire, and coming back to the county may just be the perfect next step in his career, but to bring him in, Derby must let go of Chirewa and create space for new talent.