Derby County are reportedly interested in signing Preston North End’s Ben Davies.
According to the Sun on Sunday print edition (23/09/2018 page 61), Derby County boss Frank Lampard has been watching Preston North End’s Ben Davies, who is a potential January transfer target.
The report says the Rams are interested in the 23-year-old as they look to bring in further long-term options at the back, with current first-teamer Fikayo Tomori only on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.
Signing Davies would continue Lampard’s plan of lowering the average age of the playing squad at Derby, and he could be deemed another development player in the mould of George Evans and Duane Holmes.
For one player, his potential Pride Park arrival could signal the end of their Derby stay, as Alex Pearce’s contract expires at the end of the campaign and he is yet to feature for Lampard’s side.
The 29-year-old defender joined from Reading back in 2015 and generally found first-team opportunities under former managers Steve McClaren and on the odd occasion with Gary Rowett last term.
But, with the arrival Tomori on a loan deal, Pearce has been pushed further down the pecking order and could be out of the first-team frame altogether when Curtis Davies returns from an injury spell.
Should Davies then arrive in January to further strengthen Lampard’s options, Pearce’s Derby career would be all-but over, with the club most likely waiting for his contract to expire before releasing him on a free.
Pearce has been a solid performer when called upon by the Rams, but his lack of pace and no-nonsense style of defending does not really fit with the possession-based ideals Lampard is trying to instil at Derby.
The Republic of Ireland international has made a total of 47 appearances for the Pride Park club, with his last outing against Aston Villa back in April.
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