Derby County must send scouts to watch Ipswich Town star and Paris Maghoma, here's why | OneFootball

The Rams need to strengthen in January to help keep themselves away from the relegation battle.

Derby County need to strengthen despite their decent start to life back in the Championship.

The Rams are in the midst of a mid-table battle, but a few poor results over the course of the festive period could see them drop back into the clutches of those fighting against relegation and Paul Warne knows that his team does not quite have the depth that others in the division do.

It has possibly felt like a long season already for the 51-year-old, with his side currently struggling for consistency, but they remain difficult to beat, and their defensive prowess has seen them through to wins against those in the fight for the play-offs.

The January transfer window offers Derby the chance to bring in more talent to their squad, and Football League World has identified two talents that the Rams must scout out in the coming weeks before the month-long fight for players begins.

Paris Maghoma

Paris Maghoma missed out on a summer loan move due to injury but he will be raring to go this winter and Premier League side Brentford may want to find him a loan move, preferably to the Championship if minutes stay hard to come by.

The 23-year-old was a joy to watch during his time at Bolton Wanderers last season, and he was a huge reason behind their push for an automatic promotion finish - one that they were beaten out on by Derby.

A tricky, talented midfielder, he may not be Warne's usual style of player, but he possesses the quality that is needed in the middle of the park that the Rams currently lack.

A more attacking and physical version of Kenzo Goudmijn, Maghoma would offer the East Midlands club a new option offensively, and his spell at the Toughsheet Community Stadium suggested that he has what it takes to make the step up to the Championship.

He signed a three-year extension with Brentford in the summer, so it is clear where his future lies, but DE24 could be a good place for him to ply his trade for the rest of 2024/25 and the Rams must keep a keen eye on him in December.

Ali Al-Hamadi

Derby are still in need of another striker to give Jerry Yates ample cover if he picks up an injury or finds himself suspended at any point in the next few months of his loan.

Therefore, bringing in a player with the finishing quality of Ali Al-Hamadi is critical to Warne's plans this season, and it also allows them a cheap option, as funds do not seem to be readily available at Pride Park currently.

David Clowes has not spent a huge amount of money since taking over as the Rams' owner in July 2022, and a loanee like the 22-year-old could be the perfect way to fill the gap in the squad before a new investor is appointed.

The ex-AFC Wimbledon star has struggled for minutes this season in the Premier League, with Liam Delap adopting the role of Ipswich Town's starting striker, and he may look for a move back to the Championship as the perfect way to get himself firing again.

The Rams would more than likely not be the only second-tier club taking an interest in Al-Hamadi if they do target him, but he has proven his quality in the division as recently as last season, and he is a risk that must be taken to help secure their league status at the end of the campaign.