Derby County close to completing £4m transfer | OneFootball

The Rams are reportedly making a move for the 23-year-old ahead of deadline day.

Derby County are reportedly closing in on a move for Viking FK centre-back, Sondre Langas.

According to Norwegian outlet Aftenbladet, the Rams are expected to bring the 23-year-old to England ahead of Monday's deadline, with the defender linking back up with Lars-Jorgen Salvesen who joined the Championship side earlier this month.

TV2 has also reported that a deal will be worth around 60m NOK (£4.3m), however, the package could rise to 70m NOK (£5m), while Fabrizio Romano has posted on X that a fee of £4m has been agreed.

Derby are in desperate need of a new centre-back with Eiran Cashin expected to depart for Brighton & Hove Albion for £10m, as per The Telegraph.

Langas nears Derby move

If completed, the deal will be the highest for a Norwegian defender, as Paul Warne looks to fight back against the threat of relegation in the remaining months of the season.

The fee has been agreed between the two sides, according to Romano, and all that remains is the final details with Langas himself, as well as a medical.

Viking have already brought in £800k from Derby this month through Salvesen, but it looks incredibly likely that his former teammate will be linking back up with the striker in the coming days.

The Rams brought in Matt Clarke from Middlesbrough earlier in the week as they look to build their defensive structure back up following a season-ending injury to Curtis Nelson, and the imminent sale of Cashin.

The 23-year-old made 30 league appearances for Viking last season, having joined the club from Ranheim in August 2023 on a four-year deal.

Warne may have rebuilt his defence in a matter of weeks

It's been an incredibly testing time for Derby and Warne, with his defensive department being rocked by injuries over the course of the last month.

Cashin, Nelson and Nat Phillips have all been or still are in the treatment room, and the Rams were forced to face Sunderland without a recognised centre-back on the pitch in their last home game.

While Langas will not be able to feature against Sheffield United on Saturday if a deal is completed, he will be a very welcome addition to the dressing room, and Warne will be able to revert to a three-player defence once again in the near future when needed.

However, Viking are currently out of season, and it may take a few weeks for the Norwegian to get up to full speed. Therefore, his full debut may take a little longer than anticipated.