Football League World
·16 January 2024
Football League World
·16 January 2024
Tyreece John-Jules is set to stay with Derby County until the end of the season after they reached an agreement with Arsenal over his loan deal.
The 22-year-old initial loan expired after Paul Warne's side secured a late win over local rivals Burton Albion on Monday evening, with the youngster playing a huge part in Tom Barkhuizen's opening goal.
Connor Hourihane's late winner saw The Rams move up to third in League One, going level on points with Peterborough and a point behind leaders Portsmouth.
According to the Derby Telegraph, Warne had been in conversations with the Gunners over the last fortnight.
The two clubs have now struck a deal that will see John-Jules play a part in the club's promotion push with the paperwork just waiting to be officially signed off.
It means the forward will be in the squad that faces Lincoln City this weekend as Derby aim to make it 11 wins out of 13 games in League One.
Warne is thrilled that John-Jules will be staying with the Rams, but said there are elements of his game that can be improved.
Speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Warne said: "I just think he has got so much going on in his head and that's because he can do so many things that sometimes he can just simplify it a bit. I've seen him do so many things in training where he does this finish that he bounces into the ground that keepers can't save. It's a joke.
"He has so much ability and he can do what he likes in the penalty box. It's just around the rest of the pitch where's he got to be safe, secure and reliable. It feels like he is getting better and better, the more minutes he has.
"We are still being cautious and I didn't want to take him off with a few minutes to go but I saw him stretch his calves. I can't have him missing for six weeks so he had to come off."
Having suffered with an injury at the start of his Rams career, John-Jules has proved to be an important player for Derby and their aspirations of League One promotion.
The 21-year-old was one of three forwards brought in by Warne, also including Connor Washington from fellow play-off rivals Peterborough and Martyn Waghorn from Coventry for his second spell at the club.
And while those forward players have been so important in Derby sitting in third place this season, they have shown no signs of letting up - placing interest in two players to bolster their forward line.
Charlton Athletic's Corey Blackett-Taylor remains a target, however the Addicks have rejected a £250,000 bid from the Pride Park club.
The Rams also hold interest in Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, with Warne having tried to bring the 32-year-old to the club in the summer but saw his loan bid rejected by The Owls.
If Derby were to get those two deals over the line during the January window, it would give them a significant boost in their hopes of returning to the Championship at the second time of asking.
Keeping hold of John-Jules was crucial, but adding to that striking firepower could make The Rams unstoppable in the second half of the season.
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