"Matt Clarke is no Eiran Cashin" - Derby County backed to seal Middlesbrough deal | OneFootball

The Rams' number six looks set to move on from Pride Park, and they may just have a replacement in Matt Clarke.

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's season is on a downward spiral. The excitement following promotion from League One has quickly departed Pride Park Stadium, and has been replaced with fear.

The Rams were beaten 2-1 by Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon in the Welsh capital, with two goals in two minutes from Callum Robinson and Anwar El Ghazi handing the Bluebirds all three points, although Lars-Jorgen Salvesen did score for the first time in black-and-white.

Paul Warne's side are now on a six-match losing run in the Championship, and currently occupy the final relegation spot with only Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle behind them.

Off the pitch, the situation is looking bleak, with injuries ripping through the squad, while Eiran Cashin now looks set to leave Derby despite the club stating that he is not for sale after Brighton & Hove Albion had a bid rejected for him a week ago. However, a former Ram may just be on his way back to DE24 in the coming days to help fill the void at the back.

Derby urged to complete Matt Clarke deal

The Rams looked as though they were holding firm in their decision to keep hold of Cashin this month, but following the final whistle at the weekend, the 23-year-old spent over five minutes applauding the travelling support alone.

It looked to be a final goodbye to the club that he has played every single one of the 144 professional appearances for, just a day after Football League World exclusively revealed that his team are leading the race for Middlesbrough's Matt Clarke.

The Boro centre-back is looking to leave the north-east in favour of more game time, and with Warne's new-found issues in defence, he would be the perfect player to bring in.

Clarke spent two seasons on loan at Pride Park between 2019 and 2021, and FLW's Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, believes that the Rams must make a move for him before next week's deadline, especially with Cashin's future now up in the air, although there will be some fitness concerns.

"Matt Clarke is no Eiran Cashin. However, he is a very, very competent Championship defender," he started.

"He's been at Portsmouth, he's been at Derby, he's been at West Brom, and he's been the Player of the Season at all three clubs, so he's adored by the fans. He gives everything for the team he's playing for, and he had a great spell at Derby in the past, so we know what we're getting.

"Hopefully he'll come in and feel at home because he knows the surroundings. He knows the training facility, so it wouldn't be like he's got to find his feet. Hopefully, if he's fit, he can come straight into the team."

Shaun continued: "It would be brilliant if it was alongside Cashin. If not, then it would soften the blow to an extent. He’s more than capable at this level.

"He hasn't played many games over the last year or so, but I don’t think Derby would sign him if he wasn’t 100%, so as long as our medical staff think he's fit enough, then I think he would come in and be a great addition to our squad.

"We desperately need him right now because we can't keep playing Craig Forsyth at centre-back, so I'd be more than happy to see Clarke come in and hopefully quickly."

Derby's season hangs in the balance

The promise heading into the campaign, and the excellent start that was made by the Rams feels like a long time ago now. The last two months have been desperate for Warne and his team, and recruitment is needed.

Cashin looks more likely than ever to leave the club, therefore it is imperative that Clarke is brought in quickly to help limit any of the damage that will be caused by that.

Derby's pointless run throughout January has to come to an end, and fast, but with tough games against Sheffield United and Norwich City on the horizon, the situation is ominous.

Warne has the backing of the hierarchy at Pride Park, but he must start to repay that trust as the Rams are headed for the drop if they continue how they are, and ensuring that their defence is strengthened is now the priority.