Derby County had hoped to sign West Brom’s James McClean or Everton’s Ademola Lookman; instead, they may have to re-introduce Ikechi Anya.
Derby County went into the January transfer window hoping to trim down something of a bloated squad.
The Sun (14 January, page 59) reported that Gary Rowett had identified three senior players he wanted to leave Pride Park and two of them did. Jason Shackell left for Millwall while Chris Martin has sealed a spell at Reading.
Ikechi Anya, however, is set for at least six more months in Derby’s first-team. The Scotland international has barely featured under Rowett and was expected to follow Shackell and Martin out the door this month after playing just 27 minutes of Championship football all season.
But thanks to either a lack of offers or Derby’s failure to sign a replacement, Anya could now have a chance to salvage his career in the East Midlands.
The departure of long-serving left-winger Johnny Russell to MLS side Sporting KC means a gap might have opened on the flanks; one that was not filled by either James McClean or Ademola Lookman.
Sky Sports reported prior to the transfer deadline that Derby had made a loan bid to sign Republic of Ireland flyer McClean from West Brom but saw it rejected. And The Independent claimed Everton had hoped to send the exciting Lookman to Pride Park, only for the winger to force through a move to Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig instead.
Derby did bring Kasey Palmer on loan from Chelsea but he is more a midfielder than a winger.
So Anya should be heading into the rest of the season re-energised and hopeful that he can force his way back in.
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