Derby County may have snapped up one of the bargains of the summer with Hull City’s Curtis Davies – but why didn’t Sunderland make a move?
Curtis Davies won promotion with Hull City last year
Derby County supporters could be for forgiven for wondering whether their club is doomed to spend eternity trapped in Championship purgatory.
Despite frequently outspending their second tier rivals, The Rams continue to underperform when it matters most. In the last four seasons, Derby have fallen in the play-offs twice, that last-gasp Bobby Zamora strike for QPR at Wembley in 2014 still enticing cold sweats in supporters.
Therefore, perhaps this explains why Derby have completed a sudden swoop for Hull City centre-back Curtis Davies, as reported by the Derby Telegraph. The 32-year-old arrives on a two-year deal after The Tigers’ relegation from the Premier League and brings with him a bucketload of Championship experience.
Furthermore, Davies has been there and done it before. Just a year ago, he was a major part of the Hull side which edged out Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final at Wembley. Rams boss Gary Rowett will be hoping his tendency to perform at his best on the biggest occasion will galvanise an underachieving squad next season.
However, Derby are far from the only Championship club in need of experience and solidity at the back. After all, recently relegated Sunderland are heading into Championship with a squad likely to be ravaged by summer departures.
John O’Shea appears likely to leave
With the likes of John O’Shea out of contract, Jason Denayer returning to his parent club and Lamine Kone almost certain to leave, The Black Cats are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements.
However, the fact that the club are ravaged by debt means the likes of Barnsley defender Marc Roberts, valued at £5 million according to The Sun, may prove to be beyond them.
Barnsley’s Marc Roberts
Therefore, it’s difficult not to wonder whether they have missed a trick not making a move for Davies this summer, especially with The Sun claiming he had a relegation get-out clause of just £500,000.
Affordable, experienced and with Wembley success on his CV; he’s everything the club needed.
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