Derby County may regret missing out on international midfielder to Preston North End: View | OneFootball

Derby County's failure to sign Silkeborg midfielder Stefan Teitur Thordarson is a big blow for manager Paul Warne.

Derby County are preparing for life back in the Championship after their promotion from League One.

The Rams made an inconsistent start to last season, and many fans were calling for manager Paul Warne to be sacked, but an excellent second half of the campaign saw them finish in second place behind champions Portsmouth.

It has been a busy summer as Warne looks to rebuild his squad for the Championship, and Derby have brought in three new additions so far, with Ben Osborn, Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates arriving at Pride Park.

There have also been a number of departures, with the likes of Joe Wildsmith, Scott Loach, Conor Houriihane, Korey Smith, Martyn Waghorn and Dwight Gayle leaving at the end of their contracts, while Louie Sibley turned down the offer of a new deal to join fellow newly-promoted side Oxford United.

Those exits have left the Rams with plenty of work to do in the transfer market over the coming months, with central midfield one area in desperate need of strengthening, and Warne could be set for disappointment with reports that Preston North End are set to beat Derby and Queens Park Rangers to the signing of Silkeborg midfielder Stefan Teitur Thordarson.

Stefan Teitur Thordarson reports will be frustrating for Paul Warne

Thordarson joined Silkeborg from IA in October 2020, and he has been a key player for the club over the last four years, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in 125 appearances in all competitions.

As well as impressing for his club, Thordarson has scored one goal in 20 appearances for Iceland at international level, and he came on as a second half substitute in their 1-0 win over England at Wembley last month.

Thordarson is set to travel to England on Sunday to have a medical with Preston, and according to journalist Farzam Abolhosseini, the Lilywhites will sign him for a fee of €700,000 (£600,000).

Thordarson is a versatile midfielder, and he enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career last term as he netted an impressive 11 goals, so he would have added some much-needed creativity in the middle of the park for Derby.

The Rams will also be keen to reduce the average age of their squad this summer, and at 25, Thordarson would have perfectly fit the profile of the type of player Warne is looking to recruit.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Thordarson will be able to adapt to the Championship, but a player who has featured at international level and in the Europa League and Europa Conference League should be capable of performing in the second tier.

The exits of Hourihane and Smith left Derby light in midfield, and they were keen to keep hold of Sibley, so the fact he rejected the offer of a new contract to join Oxford is a huge blow for Warne.

Oxford could cause further frustration for the Rams as they are reportedly set to beat them to the signing of Ipswich Town midfielder Idris El Mizouni, and with Thordarson now seemingly off the market, Warne will need to turn his attention elsewhere in the search for midfield reinforcements.

The Rams are in talks to re-sign Cardiff City midfielder Ebou Adams, and it will be a huge boost to bring him back to the club after the impact he made in the second half of last season, but he must not be the last of their midfield additions.

As well as new signing Osborn, Derby currently have Tyrese Fornah, Liam Thompson and Darren Robinson on their books, but Fornah fell out of favour last season and could depart this summer, while there are big question marks over whether Thompson and Robinson are ready for the Championship.

Warne will likely have other midfield targets, but missing out on Thordarson will be hugely disappointing, and the Rams will need to act quickly to bolster their options before the start of the new season in just over a month.