Ex-Leeds United defender Sol Bamba could be heading to Derby County.
Derby’s manager Nigel Pearson
Derby County manager Nigel Pearson has told the Derby Telegraph that he is surprised trialist Sol Bamba is a free agent right now.
The Rams lost yet again on Saturday afternoon, as having been 1-0 up against Blackburn Rovers, Owen Coyle’s men hit back to win 2-1 at the iPro Stadium.
Sol Bamba remonstrates with assistant referee
The stats don’t look good for Derby; Pearson’s men have scored just three times all season, with Matej Vydra’s goal against Blackburn on Saturday just the first at home this term. With five defeats in nine, Derby sit in the bottom three and are really struggling under Pearson.
With the transfer window closed and no loan window for Football League clubs anymore, the Rams are limited in terms of what they can do to boost their squad – but Pearson is trying regardless.
Defender Sol Bamba worked with Pearson at Leicester City, and is now a free agent having been released by Leeds United earlier this month.
Sol Bamba celebrates
The Ivorian centre back, 31, has been training with Derby this week in a bid to earn a reunion with Pearson, and the Derby boss has clarified the situation following Saturday’s defeat to Blackburn.
Speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Pearson admitted that Bamba contacted him about a possible trial spell, and the Rams boss was happy to oblige.
Derby County manager Nigel Pearson
Pearson added that he is surprised that Bamba is a free agent, with Leeds deciding to go with the likes of Kyle Bartley, Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper instead under Garry Monk.
“He got in contact with me and asked if it was OK for him to come in training,” said Pearson. “I have worked with him before [at Leicester City] and it is a surprise he is a free agent, but that is where we are at the minute.”I don’t think it is necessarily the right thing for me to expand on, at the moment,” he added.
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