Why Derby County Would Do Well To Avoid Signing Bristol City’s Aden Flint And Bring In A Forward Instead
According to a number of reports that emerged over the past day, promotion hopefuls Derby County made a £6million bid to sign defender Aden Flint from fellow Championship outfit Bristol City but were thwarted in their attempts.
The 28-year-old Flint has been in high demand in the January transfer window, with a number of Premier League clubs also keeping an eye on the player. It was reported earlier this month that Brighton & Hove Albion had an offer rejected for the centre-back, while West Bromwich Albion still maintain an interest in the player and could also make a move before today’s deadline.
It seems now that Derby too have thrown their hat into the ring to try and capture the towering defender from the Robins.
Flint, over the past couple of seasons, has emerged as one of the best defenders down in the English second tier. The Englishman played a huge role in helping Lee Johnson’s side stave off relegation last season and has taken his game to a whole new level in the ongoing campaign.
The 28-year-old has made 25 appearances in the Championship this season, scoring 6 goals in the process and adding one assist, helping the club to 4th place in the table – two points and two places behind second-placed Derby County. He also has found the back of the net on one occasion in 6 matches in the Carabao Cup as well.
Standing at 6ft 6in tall, Flint can be a very imposing presence in the heart of the defence, with his strong defensive nous and no-nonsense approach at the back. A good reader of the game, he shows great awareness to keep opposition players in check. His towering presence comes in extremely handy during set-piece situations at both ends of the pitch, making him a very attractive prospect for Derby.
However, Gary Rowett’s side have a number of options in the central defence area. Captain Richard Keogh and Curtis Davies have a struck a great partnership in the heart of the defence, and despite Jason Shackell’s loan departure to Millwall, the Rams have plenty of cover in the form of Alex Pearce, Andre Wisdom, Chris Baird and Craig Forsyth.
Given that Derby have the second best defensive record in the division, having just conceded 23 goals so far, just one less than leaders Wolves, one would be forgiven for thinking that there is no tinkering needed with their defence at the moment.
Despite Flint’s proven abilities, he is not something that Derby are in desperate need of at the moment. Instead, the Rams should be looking to bring in a forward to the Pride Park Stadium, in order to replace Johnny Russell, who is close to leaving the club.
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