Derby County proving the winners from Swansea City deal | OneFootball

Jerry Yates has found form for Derby County while Swansea City are struggling to score goals

Jerry Yates made a slow start to life at Pride Park after completing a season-long loan deal from Swansea City in the summer, but there have been signs in recent weeks that he could well be an excellent signing for Derby County.

Yates had spent just one season at Swansea City after signing from Blackpool in the summer of 2023, and his time in SA1 perhaps didn't go as planned, and he was allowed to leave the club on loan in July.

Derby County swooped to sign him for the season, and it looked as if he was going to continue his poor run of form in the East Midlands, but he's turned things around in recent times, and he's found his goalscoring touch again.

With Swansea's struggles in front of goal, they may just be watching Yates' recent exploits with envy, and on recent evidence, it certainly looks like Derby are the winners from his summer loan move.

Derby County are the winners from Jerry Yates' summer move

Yates' time at Derby didn't get off to an ideal start, and he actually missed the first couple of games of the season through suspension as he'd been sent off for punching Millwall's Japhet Tanganga in his final appearance at Swansea, meaning he was on the backfoot in terms of staking a claim in Paul Warne's starting XI.

He didn't make his Rams debut until the end of August, and while he registered an assist in their 3-0 over Bristol City, he wasn't in and amongst the goals which would have frustrated both him and Warne.

However, he broke his duck against Millwall towards the end of October, his first goal since scoring for Swansea against Huddersfield Town in April and just his second league goal since the turn of the year.

That spurred Yates into life, and he enjoyed an impressive week prior to the internal break with goals against Coventry City and Plymouth Argyle, the latter being an impressive bicycle kick, before he nearly bagged another with a long-range shot which was saved.

It's clear that he's a player who has his confidence back, and he's starting to replicate the form he showed at Blackpool a couple of seasons ago.

Yates is a confidence player and while that confidence may have taken a hit at Swansea, he's back amongst the goals, and he can be a real asset for the Rams this season.

However, while Yates might be amongst the goals this season, the same can't be said about his parent club.

Swansea City are the lowest goalscorers in the Championship

Swansea are actually above Derby County in the league table, but they're the lowest goalscorers in the division, having scored just 11 goals in 15 games.

Meanwhile, Derby are the ninth-highest scorers in the division with 19 Championship goals, and Swansea may just regret their decision to send Yates on loan given their woes in front of goal and his recent performances.

Swansea have strikers Liam Cullen and Zan Vipotnik on their books, both of whom have scored just two league goals this season, meaning Yates has actually outscored them.

Yates scored just two league goals for Swansea after Luke Williams took over in January, but the Swans boss will surely be impressed by what he's seen from the 28-year-old in recent weeks, and perhaps his side could have done with him now.

Swansea may be the lowest goalscorers in the league, but they're a very decent side, and with more goals they'd unquestionably be in the mix for the play-offs, making Yates' fine form at Derby even more frustrating.

As it stands, the Rams are certainly benefiting from the striker's arrival in the summer, and Yates will be hoping that he can continue to make his parent club look on with envy after the international break.