Ben Osborn on £17.5k-a-week: Who are Derby County's 5 best paid players? | OneFootball

Football League World has used Capology to estimate how much the Rams' best paid players earn.

Derby County have enjoyed a decent first half of the season, and heading into the festive period and 2025 there will be a number of positives to look back on.

There are also some concerns for Paul Warne to ponder and seek remedies about, but strong showings against Bristol City, Coventry City and Portsmouth will be remembered with pride by the 51-year-old.

The January transfer window will give him the opportunity to bolster his squad as the Rams gear up for the final five months of the campaign, and they will be hoping that they can push themselves away from a potential relegation scrap.

Any incoming will add to the wage bill, and Football League World has taken a look at Derby's five best paid players according to Capology's estimates.

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom

Summer signing Jacob Widell Zetterstrom sits joint third in this list, earning an estimated £8,500-a-week, as per Capology.

The 26-year-old has been extremely impressive since arriving in England from Swedish side Djurgardens for £1.4m, and he has already won the Rams points through his excellent shot-stopping skills.

There is room for improvement with his kicking, but Warne has been impressed with the goalkeeper, and he is the clear number one at Pride Park.

The future is extremely bright for Zetterstrom, and he has already endeared himself to supporters, with his huge personality.

James Collins

James Collins has dropped down the pecking order this season at Derby, but he has been handed valuable minutes by Warne off the bench, although he is yet to make the most of those opportunities.

The forward ended the 2023/24 campaign as his side's top scorer, and helped seal promotion on the final day against Carlisle United in a 2-0 win at Pride Park.

He was handed a new one-year contract by Warne in the summer, and according to Capology's estimates, he is earning £8,500-a-week - the same as Zetterstrom.

Now 34, it would not be a surprise if this is Collins' final season at DE24, but the effort he put in during the Rams' time in League One will not be forgotten by supporters.

Eiran Cashin

Eiran Cashin has been phenomenal since making the step-up to the first team in December 2021, and right now he is arguably Derby's best player.

The centre-back is one of the most promising defenders in the Championship, and many clubs in the division would make space in their backline to fit the 23-year-old in.

A hamstring injury that he picked up against Portsmouth in December ended his 2025 early, but he will be raring to go when he is fit and able to return to the starting XI.

Cashin played a huge part in helping the Rams to have the best defensive record in League One last season, and while goals have been conceded at a quicker rate so far in 2024/25, he has shown more than enough quality to slow this.

As per Capolgoy's estimates, Cashin is currently earning a weekly wage of £8,500, the same as Collins and Zetterstrom, after he signed a new contract until June 2027 back in February.

Kayden Jackson

The Rams signed Kayden Jackson on a free after his contract at Ipswich Town expired at the end of June.

The winger, who has also operated at both striker and wing-back on the odd occasion this season, has had a very inconsistent first four months at Pride Park, but he did find the back of the net for the first time away from home in his side's 2-1 defeat to Luton Town before Christmas.

The 30-year-old has come in and out of the team in recent weeks, but he does have a deal until 2026, and he is estimated to be earning £12,000-a-week from that.

Derby supporters will be expecting more from Jackson in 2025, but he will take confidence from his goal against the Hatters.

Ben Osborn

Few would have foreseen Ben Osborn returning to his boyhood club, but the midfielder re-joined the Rams for the first time in over 20 years in the summer after he left Sheffield United.

The former Nottingham Forest man has improved over the course of the season, and has played a vital role in Warne's plans throughout December.

The 30-year-old signed a two-year contract on his arrival, with Capology estimating him to be earning a weekly wage of £17,500.

After a slow start, Osborn is beginning to show why Warne made him his first summer signing, and he will be looking forward to the moment when he grabs his first goal in front of the South Stand at Pride Park.