Ali Al-Hamadi signs: How Derby County's dream 2025 January transfer window may look | OneFootball

The Rams will be looking to strengthen in January after a successful summer window.

After a strong opening two months of the 2024/25 campaign, Derby County, like their fellow Championship competitors, will already be preparing for the January transfer window.

The Rams have won four of their first nine games of the season, accruing 12 points, which has seen them enter the second international break 12th in the table.

It's a position that many supporters will be extremely pleased with considering they were only promoted back to the second tier in April, and they have to thank their manager, Paul Warne, for the way his team have performed so far, especially at home.

Nevertheless, while Derby have enjoyed playing at Pride Park so far this season, their away form has struggled to reach the heights that were set in 2023/24 - losing all five of their matches on the road.

Improvements must still be made to the squad, particularly up front, but with the Rams maxing out their squad of 25, it is likely that there will be outgoings in January as the campaign begins to heat up.

In - Ali Al-Hamadi

Derby have struggled with their forward-line so far this season, and despite the excellent performances of Jerry Yates, he is yet to find the back of the net.

None of the Rams' out-and-out strikers have scored in 2024/25, and while goals are coming from elsewhere, ultimately, those who are leading the line have to start pitching in soon as well.

The end of the summer window was an extremely frustrating one for the East Midlands-based club as they failed to bring in another number nine, although it did seem that there was a possibility of a loan move for Ipswich Town's Ali Al-Hamadi.

As per BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich, the Rams did take a look at the former AFC Wimbledon ace, with the journalist posting on his X account on deadline day: "From what I understand, Ali Al-Hamadi won’t be going to Derby County at this stage. Still a couple of hours to go for a striker if they can. #DCFC"

However, with a move not paying off back in August, it would not be a surprise to see Warne make a move for the 22-year-old in January, with him seemingly out of favour at Portman Road.

A loan deal could be the perfect opportunity for Al-Hamadi to get back playing consistently, and for Derby, it could give them the possibility of getting more goals from the front. Yates would also benefit from competition of a higher quality, with the move one that potentially works for every party.

Out - Conor Washington

Conor Washington's move to Derby has never truly materialised into what many, including the striker himself, would have wished for it to have been.

The Northern Irish international made 19 appearances in League One last season after joining on a two-year deal from Rotherham United, and despite a fast start that saw him score three goals in the opening few months, his momentum quickly slowed.

An ankle injury that he picked up while playing for his national team in November 2023 saw him ruled out of action until March 2024, playing just five of the Rams' final seven matches of the campaign.

2024/25 has been a real struggle for the 32-year-old, with Washington's time on the pitch completely nullified as of this moment, making the bench on just two occasions in Derby's first nine games.

His contract is due to expire in June, but with it looking unlikely that he will get any meaningful game-time in black-and-white, leaving in January could be the best thing for both the club, and for Washington himself.

Retain - Eiran Cashin

Ever since making his debut for the Rams in 2021, Eiran Cashin seems to be a name linked with a move away from Pride Park.

The 22-year-old has continued to impress at centre-back this season, although he did have a rocky start. The former Republic of Ireland U21 player suffered a head injury against Middlesbrough in just the second game of the campaign, but since returning from his two-game hiatus, he has been near-perfect.

He has formed a fantastic working relationship alongside Curtis Nelson over the course of the last 14 months, and it is a partnership that cannot be broken if Warne expects his team to survive in the Championship.

Cashin was targeted by Brighton & Hove Albion on numerous occasions last summer, but a move never materialised, and he has continued to develop into one of the best young defenders in the entirety of the EFL since.

Derby are lucky to have found a gem like Cashin in their own academy, and with his contract lasting until 2027, it does seem as though they have managed to tie the 22-year-old ace to the walls of Pride Park in the long-term, something that can only be seen as a positive.