Pride Park reveal could help Derby County land Arsenal forward in January | OneFootball

The striker has impressed in Premier League 2 so far this season, and has spoken about the Rams' stadium as one he enjoys.

Derby County are still in need of goals, despite scoring the joint eighth most goals in the Championship this season.

The Rams have found the back of the net 19 times so far in 2024/25 from just 15 games despite feeling as though goals have been difficult to come by for Paul Warne's side, at times.

Jerry Yates leads the way with only three goals to his name, showing just how much they have been shared by the squad in the opening three months of the campaign.

Warne might have been hoping for his team to have been more ruthless in different games, particularly in their most recent match against Plymouth Argyle. Derby drew 1-1 with their former manager, Wayne Rooney's, side, although they did have 20 shots at Pride Park on that day.

Bringing in a new striker is a must in January, with the Rams needing to take the burden off Yates, and they could turn to an Arsenal striker with a taste for Pride Park to help supply the goals needed to maintain their Championship status.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji is a fan of Pride Park

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji has been lighting up the Premier League 2 so far this season, scoring six goals and picking up five assists in just seven games.

His form has seen his team up to 5th in the table with five wins and three defeats from their eight matches, with the 21-year-old involved in over half of Arsenal's goals.

There are not many better strikers in his age group at the moment, and he could bring pace and power to a frontline that is lacking it at times at Derby. But it is not just his own footballing ability that may draw the Rams to the impressive young striker, with Butler-Oyedeji naming Pride Park as one of his favourite stadiums that he has played at in his blossoming career.

He said in an interview on Arsenal's website in March: "When you’re playing senior football, the atmosphere is crazy! I remember playing at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday, and I was like, oh my gosh, there were like 28,000+ people, and I wasn’t used to playing in front of those crowds. They made it a proper hostile atmosphere for us.

"Other stadiums I’ve enjoyed playing at are Pride Park and Bloomfield Road which are both lovely grounds."

Warne may be able to draw into this revelation made by Butler-Oyedeji, and entice him to the club on loan to see out the season, giving him the experience he needs in senior football.

Derby must bring in striker cover

The Rams need to find more consistency in scoring when they return from the international break, and those in attacking positions must begin to step up and take responsibility.

Yates started to find form in October and the start of November, scoring three goals in six matches, while Nathaniel Mendez-Laing also found the back of the net for the first time this season against Oxford United a few weeks ago.

However, Derby's captain and Kayden Jackson must get firing once again from the wings as the Rams' bench is not the strongest in terms of forward options.

Butler-Oyedeji would strengthen that bench, and while it may be seen as a risk to take a chance on a youngster with limited experience, he has shown this season that he knows where the goal is, and his confidence will take him a long way.