Derby County failed with three bids for Darmstadt striker Serdar Dursun, with the German outfit unwilling to cash in on their star striker without a replacement being lined up, according to Hessenchau.
Wayne Rooney’s stunning free-kick winner at Norwich City on Saturday felt like a classic case of papering over the cracks.
The fact remains that, in five Championship games, Phillip Cocu’s Rams have scored just once from open play.
While Football League clubs have until October 16 to complete their transfer business, do not expect to see Dursun arrive at Pride Park and solve Derby’s goal-scoring problems any time soon.
The East Midland giants made three bids for a 28-year-old forward who scored 19 goals in Germany’s second tier last season, with their final offer standing somewhere in the region of £1 million.
Darmstadt refused to sell their star man without a replacement lined up, however.
With the German window having now slammed shut, Dursun looks destined to stay with The Lillies until January at least.
Derby’s bitter rivals Nottingham Forest were also keen on the Hamburg-born number nine, according to the Mirror (5 October, page 43).
Cocu might have missed out on his top striker target but, on the upside, Derby still have another week and half to negotiate a deal to sign Championship promotion-specialist Charlie Austin from West Brom.
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