Derby County: John Eustace could authorise Nathaniel Mendez-Laing exit on one condition | OneFootball

The winger has struggled in the Championship this season, and has not had the impact that many would have hoped for.

Derby County suffered their eighth league defeat of 2025 on Friday evening as they were heavily beaten by Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

An Ilias Chair brace, alongside goals from Koki Saito and Ronnie Edwards handed the R's a stunning 4-0 victory over the Rams as John Eustace was hit hard during his first game with his new club after leaving Blackburn Rovers last week.

The 45-year-old has his work cut out to turn around the East Midlands outfit's fortunes, as his team now occupy the final relegation spot once again following Hull City's 1-1 draw with Norwich City.

Plans are already being made for Derby to use the free agent market to add to their attacking department, but more permanent options will be sought in the summer transfer window, regardless of division.

However, there is a decision to be made about those already at the club, including the current captain's future.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's Championship struggles could see him depart in the summer

It has not been the season that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing would have imagined, having played a significant role in the Rams winning promotion to the Championship in 2023/24.

However, he has found the step-up to the second tier incredibly difficult and he has not been able to have the impact that many may have expected him to have had.

The Guatemala international has scored just two goals in 33 league appearances, while picking up only four assists to go with that. This lack of attacking strength has been on show for the entirety of the season and he is not showing any signs of improvement.

Therefore, Eustace could have a decision to make in the summer about Mendez-Laing's future. If safety is achieved, it may be the correct decision to let him go as more consistency will be needed to ensure that Derby do not have the same issues next season.

But, relegation would see the 32-year-old return to the division that he had great success in during his first two years as a Ram. He is also contracted until the summer of 2026, and he could be useful off the bench if a new star is found for the starting XI.

Eustace has 13 games to assess his squad, but the wing positions are certainly an area that he will be looking to improve, and Mendez-Laing may be one of those who suffers because of that.

Derby need to lower the age of their wingers

Administration in 2021 led to Derby's team being ripped apart, and they were forced to adapt upon David Clowes' purchase of the club in July 2022, with players coming in as free agents to help start the rebuild in League One.

However, a lot of those players were either in their 30s or late 20s and this has shaped the Rams' squad over the course of the last couple of years.

Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen were two of the new faces brought in during that summer and both of them played a part in promotion.

However, they have found life in the Championship difficult and at their ages, they are not going to improve. Therefore, Eustace must look to replace them with younger faces, especially if Derby stay in the Championship for next season.