Paul Warne had a very tough task last season trying to bring in quality players without spending much money.
Whilst Derby were no longer under a transfer embargo, they did have the EFL monitoring their spending and so couldn’t splash the cash as they would have liked.
So many of Derby’s signings were free agents, some of which worked out well and some not so well.
However, after a season with such success, how much of an impact did this season’s signings have on Derby’s promotion.
Here are the ratings for all 15 of the signings that Paul Warne made this past season...
1. Dwight Gayle: 6/10
Gayle had an incredibly good start to his Derby County career, scoring three goals in six games, but he then suffered a season-ending injury. | Getty Images
2. Ryan Nyambe: 9/10
Nyambe was excellent during the stretch of games over the winter where Derby established themselves at the top end of the table. He faced an injury in February, but that can't take away from how good a free agent pick up he was. | Getty Images
3. Ebou Adams: 10/10
They say to never fall in love with a loan player, but that's exactly what Pride Park did with Adams. His bullish midfield style won over the fans who will be hoping that Adams will return on a permanent deal. | Getty Images
4. Tyreece John-Jules: 6/10
John-Jules showed flashes of brilliance, but was simply not consistent enough. He also spent most of the season out with an injury so we never got to see his full potential. | Derby County Football Club