---
title: "Derby County: Ryan Conway confirms the Rams’ January transfer plans"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/derby-county-transfer-news-now-dcfc-championship-table-curtis-davies/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Fintan O'Reilly"
section: "Derby County News"
published: "2020-12-14T17:30:24Z"
modified: "2020-12-14T17:30:24Z"
---

# Derby County: Ryan Conway confirms the Rams’ January transfer plans

**The Athletic’s Derby County correspondent [Ryan Conway has confirmed](https://theathletic.com/2251968/2020/12/13/curtis-davies-injury-derby/) that the Rams are still going to prioritise signing a centre-forward in the January transfer window, despite Curtis Davies picking up a potential long-term injury.**

In Conway’s latest article for The Athletic, the journalist explained that while the severity of Davies’ Achilles injury is not known yet, things look ‘ominous’ for the centre-back at present and the injury may well keep him out of action beyond his 36th birthday in March, with the ageing defender’s current Rams contract set to expire at [the end of the 2020/21 campaign](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/curtis-davies/profil/spieler/18227).

### **Where does this injury leave Derby County in terms of centre-back options?**

Davies has played in the majority of the Rams’ Championship games so far this season, starting [11 of their first 17 league games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/curtis-davies/leistungsdaten/spieler/18227) this term, up until his injury versus Brentford last week.

[Per Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/derby-county/kadernachposition/verein/22), while several Derby players can deputise at centre-back, Davies is one of only three natural central defenders at the club, one of whom – Mike te Wierik – hasn’t even been included in the matchday squad in any of the Rams’ [last eight games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mike-te-wierik/leistungsdaten/spieler/155806), with Conway explaining in his report that the Dutchman, who [signed for Derby from Groningen in the summer](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mike-te-wierik/transfers/spieler/155806), ‘is currently trying to get minutes with Derby’s U23s.’

### **How is this potential crisis at centre-back expected to influence the Rams’ January transfer business?**

As a result of Derby’s lack of natural options at centre-back following Davies’ injury, with right-back Andre Wisdom filling in at the heart of defence alongside Matthew Clarke [versus Stoke City on Saturday](https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1487453/Live/England-Championship-2020-2021-Derby-Stoke), Conway has stated that the club ‘may now have to consider’ moving for a centre-back when the transfer window re-opens next month.

However, the journalist has revealed that cover for Davies has not taken priority over the Rams’ search for a striker, with Conway declaring that recruiting a new player in that position is still at the top of their January shopping list.

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This may be understandable when you consider that Derby have currently got the [worst league goalscoring record](https://www.skysports.com/championship-table) of any Championship side for the 2020/21 campaign.

However, if things aren’t bad enough at the centre-back position at present, an injury to Clarke could really give the Rams something of a crisis in that position and so, surely they must move for a centre-back as well, even if a striker is their priority.

**In other news, [some Derby County fans have been left raging at one refereeing decision from Saturday’s clash with Stoke City](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/derby-county-news/derby-county-fans-rage-at-referee-decision-versus-stoke-city/).**