Derby County are reportedly close to sealing a £3 million deal for Burnley defender Jason Shackell.
According to the Daily Mail, Derby County are close to securing the services of Burnley captain Jason Shackell in a deal worth £3 million.
The report states that a planned agreement involving Richard Keogh and cash fell through, but the Rams are willing to pay the figure outright to land their former player of the year.
Shackell would become Paul Clement’s seventh summer signing, following Scott Carson, Chris Baird, Alex Pearce, Darren Bent, Andreas Weimann and Tom Ince through the doors at the iPro Stadium.
Why the signing of Shackell will hugely boost Derby’s promotion chances
The 31-year-old is a popular figure among Rams fans already, having captained the side during his one year in the East Midlands back in 2011/12, and would come to the club after an individually very impressive spell in the Premier League.
Shackell made more clearances, with a 100% success rate, than any other player in the Premier League last season – 64 more than Swansea City’s Ashley Williams in second.
| Position | Team | Total Clearance | Effective Clearance | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Shackell | DF | Burnley | 436 | 436 | 38 | 3,347 |
| Ashley Williams | DF | Swansea | 372 | 372 | 37 | 3,330 |
| Phil Jagielka | DF | Everton | 371 | 371 | 37 | 3,285 |
| Steven Caulker | DF | QPR | 345 | 345 | 35 | 3,015 |
Derby’s promotion push last season fell apart largely due to the lack of defensive organisation and leadership at the back, with the Rams conceding 34 goals in their last 18 games.
Over the past two seasons, goals haven’t been a problem for Derby, so if they can sure up the defence, they will be another prospect altogether for the upcoming campaign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
