Derby County should hijack Preston North End deal for Barnsley's Adam Phillips | OneFootball

The midfielder has been in excellent form for the Tykes this season and the Rams would benefit from his goalscoring form.

Derby County have been stuck in a rut for the last few months, and their form is currently that of a side destined for relegation.

Paul Warne has found it difficult to find wins in the Championship recently, and they have won just four of their last 22 matches in all competitions following a defeat to League One side Leyton Orient on penalties in the FA Cup third round on Tuesday.

Watford await the Rams this weekend, and there will be hope that their first signing of the January transfer window will arrive in time to make the squad. Lars-Jorgen Salvesen is expected to join the East Midlands outfit from Norwegian side Viking FK for £800k in the coming days, with goals desperately needed up front.

However, a threat in the final third also needs to come from those playing deeper, and Derby should turn to Barnsley to find that goalscoring midfielder.

Derby must hijack Preston, Barnsley deal for Adam Phillips

Adam Phillips has been linked with a move to the Championship already this month, with Preston North End and Swansea City showing an interest in him, as per Football Insider.

The 27-year-old has been in excellent form for the Tykes so far this season, and his ability to find the back of the net consistently from the middle of the park should be of great interest to Warne.

According to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, Derby are targeting Reading's Harvey Knibbs, who plays in a similar position as Phillips, but if they do miss out on the Royals ace, then a back-up plan is needed, and Barnsley's number eight could be that.

With seven goals and five assists in 19 League One appearances, he has been a crucial part of the Tykes' play-off push this season, and losing him in January will be a huge dent in their ambitions to return to the second tier.

However, the Rams must be selfish, and beating two teams around them for a player with Phillips' quality must be a priority on Warne's list as they look to keep hold of their Championship status for another year.

Derby need reinforcements quickly

Derby started the season well, and there was a feeling of hope throughout the first couple of months, but a drastic dive in form has led to questions from supporters about Warne's future at the club.

In comparison, Paul Heckingbottom's Preston side are starting to improve, and they have slowly pushed themselves away from the threat of relegation.

While there is no reported interest in Phillips from the Rams, he is a player that should be on their radar, and he will make their midfield more complete.

Knibbs will be high up on Warne's shopping list this month, but there is no guarantee that they will win the battle for him, and other options will be needed if this does not happen. Reinforcements need to make their way through the door at Pride Park quickly, otherwise the threat of relegation will feel more and more real.

Wins have to start coming more regularly for Derby, and freshening up the squad is seemingly the only way this is going to happen at this moment.