Jacob Butterfield and Nick Blackman didn’t play a single Championship game for Frank Lampard’s Derby County last season.
Jacob Butterfield and Nick Blackman are expected to see their miserable Derby County careers come to an end in the very near future with the Derby Telegraph reporting that the big-money duo are set to be released.
Blackman has been nothing short of a disaster since moving to Pride Park from Reading in January 2016, costing the club a hefty £2.5 million as reported by the BBC.
The 29-year-old forward scored just one Championship goal for Derby and he has spent the last two seasons on loan at Maccabi Tel Aviv and Sporting Gijon.
Butterfield has been similarly disappointing.
A £5 million signing from Huddersfield Town four years ago (Gazette), the Bradford-born midfielder was clearly not part of Frank Lampard’s plans last season and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at his hometown club in League One.
The Telegraph claims that Blackman and Butterfield recently signed 12-month extensions on ‘vastly reduced’ terms. But it is reported that both players are now ‘highly likely’ to have their contracts ripped up before the start of pre-season training.
Derby have spent the last few years attempting to cut the fat from a bloated squad and there would be little argument for Blackman or Butterfield to stay, even if it is unsure who will be in the dugout next season.
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