Three players that Derby County could sign to replace Jason Knight
As Jason Knight has left Derby for Bristol City for an undisclosed fee, that leaves the Rams with a hole to fill in midfield. But who could Paul Warne replace the Irish international with?
Tom Rogic – Free Agent
The former Celtic and West Brom midfielder has recently become a free agent after West Brom decided not to renew his contract.
The 30 year old had a lot of success at Celtic, making 272 appearances for the club, scoring 46 goals and recording 49 assists.
The Rams could sign him for free and he would provide some quality in midfield which would be useful in replacing Knight.
Rogic plays primarily as an attacking midfielder behind the striker which would fit nicely into Paul Warne’s system, he helps to provide goals as well as assists and could aid in propelling the Rams back into the Championship.
Noah Chilvers – Colchester United
Noah Chilvers is a very similar player to Jason Knight and could provide Paul Warne with the perfect replacement.
Like Knight, Chilvers is a 22 year old attacking midfielder. Despite his young age, he has made 147 appearances for Colchester United making him fairly experienced.
His quality on the ball is unmatched and his ability to run at full effort for the whole of the game mirrors what the Rams had in Jason Knight.
Chilvers is in the final year of his contract at Colchester and so they may well be looking to sell him if they decide not to renew his contract.
This means that Derby could purchase him for around £400-500k which would leave plenty of profit from the sale of Jason Knight which is believed to be an incoming fee of up to £2 million.
A good footballing move but also a good business move, Chilvers would be ideal.
Lewis Wing – Free Agent
Midfielder Lewis Wing recently became a free agent after his contract with Wycombe Wanderers expired.
Wing has previously played for Middlesborough and Sheffield Wednesday also.
The talented 29-year-old would fit nicely into Derby’s midfield alongside Max Bird and Conor Hourihane.
Last season, Wing made 44 league appearances scoring nine goals in the process. He’s got creative flair and scoring ability which could be useful to the Rams as an option to replace Jason Knight.
However, Wing has been attracting interest from other clubs including QPR according to Bucks Free Press, so if Paul Warne wants his signature, the Rams would have to move quickly.