Derby County defender Scott Malone is set to join Millwall on a permanent deal this summer, bringing an end to his time at Pride Park.
The Lowdown: Derby stalwart before loan move
Malone signed for the Rams from Huddersfield Town back in the summer of 2018, becoming a key man during Frank Lampard’s time as manager.
He made 47 Championship appearances over the next two seasons, before joining Millwall on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, having fallen out of favour.
Left-back Malone has been a key figure for the South London club in 2020/21, appearing in 41 of their 46 league games, starting 37 of them, perhaps implying the Rams would have been better off with him in their own squad.
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The Latest: Malone tipped for permanent exit
According to South London News, Millwall look set to snap up the 30-year-old on a permanent deal, once his Derby deal expires at the end of this month.
A move is already thought to be ‘locked down’, as Malone waves goodbye to the Rams, having been hailed as ‘excellent’ by Lions boss Gary Rowett.
The Verdict: Right time to move on
In truth, it makes perfect sense for all parties for Malone to move on, with Wayne Rooney seemingly seeing no future for him at the club.
It is pointless offering an unwanted player a new deal, and from the defender’s perspective, the thought of regular football is surely too good to turn down.
Malone will be remembered as a solid servant for Derby, however, at a time when they came so close to securing promotion to the Premier League.
In other news, some Derby fans have been reacting to news surrounding the proposed takeover of the club. Read more here.
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