2 players who could follow James Collins out of Derby County in 2025 | OneFootball

The Rams have plenty of players out of contract at the end of the season, while one young player may have to look elsewhere in the summer.

The January transfer window is incredibly important for Derby County, with work needed to help turnaround their poor run of form.

Sonny Bradley has already left the club on loan to join Wycombe Wanderers, freeing up space in the squad for a new signing, but more players will need to make way in the coming weeks.

However, plans will already be in place for the summer as well, with plenty of Rams players out of contract and looking for moves away from Pride Park Stadium to pastures new.

Football League World has taken a look at three players that could leave Derby not only this month, but also later in the year as Paul Warne looks to retain his side's Championship status.

James Collins

James Collins played a crucial role in helping the Rams up to the second tier last season, but 2024/25 has been a different story for the striker with minutes hard to come by.

Now 34, Collins is out of contract at the end of the campaign after putting pen-to-paper on a new deal in the summer, but with the East Midlands club linked with moves for forwards this month, it seems as though his time at Pride Park is coming to an end.

The former Luton Town man will more than likely see the season out in black-and-white before departing as a free agent, but if Derby do have a successful January transfer window, there is the possibility that he could move on sooner than first anticipated.

Nevertheless, the effort and service that he has provided since he first joined the club in 2022 can not be understated, and without his goals last season, Warne's side would not have won promotion from League One.

Conor Washington

Similar to Collins, Conor Washington has fallen down the pecking order in the striking department this season, but unlike the Rams' number nine, he has been left completely in the dark by his manager.

The Northern Ireland international has managed to break into the matchday squad on just a couple of occasions in 2024/25, and the majority of his football has been played with the Under-21s and Under-18s.

Washington is out of contract at the end of the campaign, but it would be a surprise to see him remain in DE24 before that time, and a loan or permanent move away seems to be the perfect solution for both parties.

The 32-year-old has enough time in his career to recover his form and start playing consistently, but this will not happen at Derby, and he will more than likely move on in 2025.

Tyrese Fornah

Tyerse Fornah's future at Pride Park seems incredibly uncertain, and despite a promising first year with the Rams, he asked for a loan move away in the summer.

He has spent the season with Salford City in League Two and has impressed greatly, and he is starting to feel like a forgotten man in the East Midlands right now.

The signing of Ebou Adams from Cardiff City 12 months ago saw him drop further down the pecking order, and he wanted to prove himself away from the club, much to the surprise of his manager, Warne.

If Salford win promotion to League One, then a permanent move could be on the cards, and this could be the best-case scenario for Derby, with his contract also due to expire at the end of June.