Derby bizarrely among bookies favourite to sign Hull’s Abel Hernandez, but do they need him?

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Hull City’s Abel Hernandez could be leaving the club this summer.

According to the latest odds published by Bet Victor in the transfer specials, Derby County are second favourites behind Newcastle United to sign Hull City striker Abel Hernandez this summer.

The odds on the Rams signing the Uruguay international are currently 4/1, with Premier League side Newcastle leading the pack at 2/1 and a host of other Championship clubs such as Nottingham Forest listed at 10/1.

Derby are looking to reach the Premier League via the Championship playoffs this season and third-placed favourites Fulham are the first opposition standing in their way.

In the event that the Rams beat the odds and navigate themselves through the playoffs to the top-flight, signing a striker would become a priority for boss Gary Rowett as goals may be hard to come by.

But Derby would probably look at somebody more suited to Rowett’s style than Hernandez – a player willing to work his socks off upfront and challenge for lost causes as opposed to a focal man up top.

Should the East Midlands club fall short, then again signing Hull’s 27-year-old South American doesn’t really make much sense even if the player is available on a free due to his expiring contract.

Derby are fairly stacked with attackers as Cameron Jerome, David Nugent, Sam Winnall, Andreas Weimann and the Championship’s golden boot winner Matej Vydra are all capable of playing the lone-forward role.

Hernandez is predominantly a striker and doesn’t have the versatility to play in wide areas, therefore he could only offer Derby one particular role and it’s one that Rowett has rarely deployed at Pride Park.

Moreover, with just 12 goals scored over the past two years, Hernandez hardly represents a desirable target especially considering his current wages are likely to dwarf that of any current Derby player.

The likes of Leeds United, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest (listed at 10/1) are all short of attacking options therefore they would make more sense, while for Derby, surely adding mobility and pace in the middle of the park plus another wide player are more pressing issues for Rowett to solve this summer.