Derby County: Beating Birmingham City in transfer race will reassure Pride Park faithful - View | OneFootball

The winger has been linked with a move to the Rams all summer, but Birmingham are also interested.

Highlights

Derby County will be hoping to beat League One side Birmingham City to the signing of Karamoko Dembélé after a summer-long transfer saga.

The 21-year-old is currently playing for Stade Brest in France, but spent last season on loan at Blackpool in the third tier, scoring eight goals and picking up 13 assists in 39 league appearances. He also found the back of the net in the FA Cup against newly promoted League Two side Bromley in the first round of the competition.

However, the former Celtic wonderkid looks likely to head back to England on a permanent basis, with both Derby and Birmingham battling it out to acquire his services for the long-term future, according to Alan Nixon.

The promise of Championship football has put the Rams in the driving seat for the deal. However, Blues do currently have Siriki Dembélé, Karamoko's older brother, playing for the club.

Moving to Derby is beneficial for both parties

The Rams are in need of more youth on the wings, with Corey Blackett-Taylor, Kayden Jackson, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen all currently battling it out for a chance to play out on the flanks.

Mendez-Laing is currently Derby's first-choice winger, having proven himself as the club's talisman last season. However, Dembélé will cause good competition on the other side, and will assure fans that the club is prepared for the season.

The London-born player can bring something new to DE24 if he does join, with his pace and low centre of gravity two key assets to his game. His output is also extremely enticing, and is much better than that of Barkhuizen and Jackson, while he had a similar campaign to Blackett-Taylor and Mendez-Laing in 2023/24 in terms of numbers.

The differing styles between the five could give Derby an edge over their opponents, with it being hard to work out how the team will attack their defence at different points in a game.

Birmingham are a threat but deal relies on one thing

Birmingham do have significant interest in the 21-year-old, but they may need to keep hold of Karamoko's brother, Siriki, to have any chance of buying him.

Siriki has been linked with moves to Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City according to reports from Darren Witcoop, but Blues are keen to keep hold of him, with two years left on his deal.

He started just 26 times in the Championship last season, but with the club's relegation to League One, he may become more of a key player for Chris Davies as Birmingham look to immediately bounce back to the second tier.

The 27-year-old is believed to be valued at £1.5 million, but with the transfer window coming to a close on August 30, clubs will start to get desperate in an attempt to capture their targets.

If Siriki Dembélé does leave St. Andrew's then Derby will gain a clear advantage in securing a move for Karamoko, and will be able to ease any nerves that the Pride Park faithful currently have.