"It will depend " - Claim made on Jerry Yates' future at Derby County | OneFootball

The striker has shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Pride Park so far, but more consistency is needed.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County will be looking to pick up their first point of 2025 on Saturday afternoon when they welcome high-flying Sheffield United to Pride Park Stadium.

The Rams have lost their last six matches in the Championship, and they have not tasted victory since Boxing Day when they ran out 2-1 winners at home to West Bromwich Albion.

It's been an incredibly tough month for Paul Warne, and pressure has mounted on the 51-year-old over the course of the last few weeks with there seemingly no way out of this rut that his side finds themselves in.

Derby have already made their first signings of the season in Lars-Jorgen Salvesen and Matt Clarke, but another striker is needed, despite Jerry Yates also being among the ranks. However, there have been questions over the course of the campaign about whether a permanent deal should be arranged with Swansea City for the 28-year-old.

Derby told to hold fire on a permanent deal for Yates

The former Rotherham United forward has scored six goals and registered three assists in 26 league games for the Rams so far, but he has had more than enough opportunities to add to those tallies.

But, it must also be said that Yates has often been left isolated up front, and this has had a huge impact on his ability to make an impression in matches.

Football League World has asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, if he thinks the club should arrange a permanent deal for the striker before the end of the transfer window, or if they should wait until the conclusion of the season.

He told FLW: "I would hold off on the Yates transfer. I would wait until the summer to find out what league we're in and to see what kind of partnership he can form with Salvesen.

"If it's a good one, I would look to sign him in the summer because I think this could potentially become a really good partnership, but it will depend on what league we're in."

Shaun continued: "I don't think Yates will want to drop down to League One. Equally, I don't think he's done enough at Derby to warrant us trying to sign him now. He's missed some good chances and I know he works hard, he's clearly a talented lad, and it can't be easy playing for Derby feeding off scraps. But right now, I think it's best for both parties if we hold off and keep him hungry.

"We need to wait and see what league we're in next season, but if he gets a good partnership going, then I would be happy to see him stay in the Championship next season."

Salvesen could help unlock Yates

While performances and results have not been good enough for a long time now at Derby, the arrival of Salvesen has brought new life to the team's attacking play.

He made an instant impact on his debut against Sunderland, and he was unlucky not to score, before getting his first goal for the club on his full debut against Cardiff City at the weekend.

The Norwegian worked excellently with Yates, and as the weeks progress their relationship will only get better and they will provide an even greater threat.

If Derby survive in the Championship, and their front two form an excellent partnership, then it would make sense for the Rams to table a bid for the Swansea loanee. However, they must hold fire for now and bring in more cover as a priority.