Morris signing is a statement by Ramspublished at 12:25 27 June
12:25 27 June
Ed Dawes BBC Radio Derby commentator
Image source, Rex Features
Credit to Derby County for their first signing of the summer - the arrival of Carlton Morris is a statement addition to John Eustace's squad.
Morris battered Derby on Good Friday as they were desperate to win and avoid the drop. The way the 29-year-old led his Hatters team throughout the afternoon disrupted the Rams.
He bullied the centre-halves, he was in the referee's ear, he had chances to score, and he was a pain in the backside. That is exactly what Derby County need - a solid brute of a number nine who will cause defenders problems.
The Rams haven't had one since Colin Kazim-Richards or Chris Martin. Both of them led the fight in black and white, whether it was for promotion or survival.
Scoring goals was a huge issue last season, and a run of two goals in 10 matches cost the previous head coach his job. This summer Derby's recruitment team, led by Leigh Bromby and chief executive Stephen Pearce are fishing in a different pond. Plenty of names have been linked, and all of them would upgrade the current squad. All of them would excite the fanbase.
Defensively, Eustace has the nucleus of solidity. Full-back cover, width and a game-changing midfielder would also be welcome additions. With the arrival of Carlton Morris, it will make other players sit up and take notice that Derby County are worth considering.
Gossip: Rams eye Reds left-back Beckpublished at 10:18 27 June
10:18 27 June
Derby and Wrexham have joined Rangers in the race to take Liverpool left-back Owen Beck, 22, on loan. (Pete O'Rourke, external)
🎧 Morris is a statement, Rams are going up a steppublished at 09:54 27 June
09:54 27 June
Media caption,
Carlton Morris signs for Derby County
"It is a statement signing, it gets them off on the front foot for sure."
The Rams Daily team are joined by Nick and George Webster as they chat about Derby County's upcoming fixtures and latest signing rumours as well as the completed deal for striker Carlton Morris.
The 29-year-old joins from freshly relegated Luton Town, where he has been their top scorer for the past three successive seasons.
The signing has got many fans talking on social media and for the Rams Daily team, it marks a shift in the Rams' transfer ambitions.
"Jerry Yates did a great job last season under difficult circumstances but this is a step up," BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich said.
"Derby County are operating in a different market now.
"This is really impressive all round. We give the club a lot of stick, rightfully so, for some of their transfer dealings over the past couple of years but to be on the 26 June and already have Carlton Morris over line, that's a step in the right direction."
Fixture day is almost upon us...published at 15:42 25 June
15:42 25 June
Your club will soon discover their schedule for the upcoming EFL season. As soon as Thursday, in fact.
Want to know who your side will face on opening day? The EFL fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that's not all.
The day will be rounded off by the first round of Carabao Cup being drawn at 16:30 BST.
So check back on 26 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.
A clear message from Eustacepublished at 09:57 25 June
09:57 25 June
Dominic Dietrich BBC Radio Derby journalist
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images
Derby County held their fan forum last night at Pride Park as supporters questioned head coach John Eustace and CEO Stephen Pearce.
Firstly, it was great to see Eustace in that environment - engaging and funny but absolutely sure of what he needs going forward into next summer and, sat alongside his CEO, his message was clear for all.
Eustace outlined attackers as the focus this summer, highlighting the lack of goals last season, and confirmed they'd like to add two to three exciting attackers. This falls in line with his plan to play a 4-2-3-1 formation going into next season.
"I'd love to play a back four, some exciting attacking wingers and two good strikers," Eustace said.
That back four may look different on the opening day of the Championship season. Eustace revealed they will be without defenders Curtis Nelson, Ryan Nyambe and Sondre Langas following injuries sustained last season.
Looking at the big picture, as the club continue their huge pitch renovation at Pride Park, they will also be refurbishing the home changing room and all pitches at their training base at Moor Farm.
It was announced last night that the club have undertaken an academy restructure as they introduce a B team model which will serve as an extension to the first-team environment at the club.
The B team will be led by Keith Briggs and participate in the Central League and Derbyshire Senior Cup, while the under-21s remain the same.
There was no update on the club's search for investment and Pearce reiterated their business plan under David Clowes is going to plan.
The head coach was asked what would make a great season. He suggested the play-offs would be an excellent campaign but went back to a familiar message of patience, highlighting the two-to-three year build both he and the club are on to get them back to the Premier League.
The night ended on a fun note but one that will carry weight when the new season arrives. A supporter asked for a less stressful campaign - and Pearce echoed that with Eustace. The Rams boss' response was short but sweet - "Only if you get the players".
Gossip: Eustace keen on reunionpublished at 11:04 23 June
11:04 23 June
Derby boss John Eustace is keen on a reunion with free agent defender Danny Baath, and attacker Andi Weimann, both 33, who are out of contract at Blackburn, while Luton captain Carlton Morris is set for a medical at Pride Park when he returns from holiday. (The Telegraph, external)
Gossip: Cashin expected to leave Brighton on loanpublished at 11:49 19 June
11:49 19 June
Former Derby County centre-back Eiran Cashin could be set to leave Brighton on loan for the 2025-26 campaign with Bundesliga clubs reportedly interested, though a move to a Championship side has not been ruled out. (Derby Telegraph), external
🎧 Calm down, the work is being donepublished at 12:08 18 June
12:08 18 June
Media caption,
The transfer window is open
"Just because we are not hearing anything and nothing has been announced, it doesn't mean that work isn't being done now. I expect them to be close on a couple."
BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich and Ed Dawes chat about the Rams' transfer silence, whether head coach John Eustace will attract talent from his former club Blackburn Rovers and why there's no reason to panic.
Lions up, Watford down? The 2025 Championship tablepublished at 12:37 10 June
12:37 10 June
Ben Ashton BBC Sport England
Image source, Getty Images
Watford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.
Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.
Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.
Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.
Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.
The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...
Image source, Rex Features
Portsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.
Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.
The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.
Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.
Image source, Rex Features
Plymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.
Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.
Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.
Image source, Rex Features
Watford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.
The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.
Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.
Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.
Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.
It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.
Data collated from Transfermarkt
Rams bid farewell to a 'crucial cog'published at 15:35 30 May
15:35 30 May
Amelia Warren Fan writer
Image source, Rex Features
The departure of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to MK Dons this week isn't necessarily news that comes as a shock to Rams fans, particularly with former Derby boss Paul Warne now at the helm, but it remains a hard goodbye nonetheless.
Mendez-Laing racked up over 140 appearances in black and white, scoring 21 goals, and was a crucial cog in Derby's promotion from League One to the Championship, and again in the fight for Championship survival at the back end of the season.
His most notable moments in a Derby shirt came against Cambridge United away in April 2024, Portsmouth at Pride Park in December 2024, and, of course, against West Brom at The Hawthorns in April where Mendez-Laing wrapped up a vital three points in Derby's relegation scrap.
There is no denying Mendez-Laing has more than done his job for the club, with the Rams likely to not be where they are now without him. The Guatemalan departs with a lot of great memories, and a huge amount of respect from Rams fans who wish him nothing but the best in the future.
Looking forward, I imagine we will have to say a few more tough goodbyes as John Eustace begins a rebuild of his playing staff. However, with outgoings there will always be incomings too, and I'm excited to see what sort of targets Eustace is able to secure himself over the next few weeks and months as he kicks off a new era of Derby County.
The 'best kid on the playground' departspublished at 17:17 27 May
17:17 27 May
Dominic Dietrich BBC Radio Derby journalist
Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing was a key part of Derby County's return from administration.
His nine goals and 16 assists in League One as the Rams returned to the Championship were not only his best return in a single campaign but the difference in getting Derby over the line in second.
He leaves Pride Park with his head held high, to join his former head coach Paul Warne at MK Dons.
The pair had a strong relationship during their time working together with Warne making the 33-year-old his captain and the key piece in his side, often describing him as "the best kid on the playground" when describing his ability throughout their promotion together.
As John Eustace looks to mould his squad moving forward, this seems to be a clever bit of business from the club as they make room in the wage department to further strengthen.
Mendez-Laing only started three matches following the arrival of Eustace whilst dealing with an injury as well.
It may not have worked for him in the Championship, but Mendez-Laing more than played his part in a Derby shirt and I'm sure will be remembered fondly.
Image source, Rex Features
