HIGHLIGHTS

•  Eiran Cashin has been crucial for Derby’s defence, attracting interest from clubs with his impressive performances on the pitch.
•  Young midfielder Darren Robinson has shown promise, moving between senior and U21 squads with potential for a loan move.
•  Despite losing other key players, Derby is fighting to keep its talented youth stars like Cashin and Robinson in the squad for the upcoming season.

After a successful 2023/24 season that saw Derby County promoted to the Championship, the Rams could be raided by teams in both the Premier League and the EFL. Eiran Cashin and Darren Robinson are just two players that could spark interest from rivals.

Paul Warne enters the new season with a threadbare squad, knowing that both his recruitment staff and himself will have to work hard to build a team that can survive in the second tier.

The Rams are due to release six first team players on 30 June once their contracts expire: Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith, Dwight Gayle, Martyn Waghorn, Joe Wildsmith and Scott Loach. Both James Collins and Louie Sibley are still in discussion over their futures, leaving the club with just a handful of options in each area of the pitch.

Despite this, Derby still have a few players that could move on if the price is right for Warne, and a number of youth players that may spend the campaign out on loan.

Both Cashin and Robinson have come through the ranks at Pride Park, with the former a permanent name on the team-sheet. However, both will have clubs lurking throughout the summer, as we explain.

Eiran Cashin

At just 22-years-old, Cashin has been a revelation at the back for Derby. The ex-Ireland U21 star made his debut for a Wayne Rooney-managed Rams side in December 2021, making a handful of cameo roles against Blackpool, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United.

His first break would come on the road against Huddersfield Town, with his side down to ten after Richard Stearman’s early red card. Two weeks later, he was handed his first start against Peterborough United, before being a near ever present for the rest of the 2021/22 season – scoring his first senior goal in a 2-0 win at Blackpool.

It was no surprise that, after a superb 2022/23 League One season, Cashin was named as Derby’s Young Player of the Season as his side finished just outside the play-offs in seventh. During that year, he missed just three league games, partnering Curtis Davies, and conceded just 42 goals while on the pitch.

Brighton & Hove Albion came calling during the summer of 2023, with Derby rejecting numerous bids for their young centre-back. It was also reported by John Percy that the Premier League side tried once more on the final day of the transfer window, with time running out before a deal could be agreed.

This saga led to Cashin signing a new long-term deal, pledging his future to the Rams until 2027. This security helped Derby on their way to promotion from League One at the end of 2023/24, with the 22-year-old once again winning the Young Player of the Season Award.

Nevertheless, Cashin will bring interest once again this summer. He was a key reason for the club’s promotion, forming part of the best defence in the league that conceded only 37 goals, and claimed 22 clean sheets – with 10 of those coming in the final 15 matches.

His ability to play as a ball-playing centre-back in both alongside either one or two partners also makes him a valuable target for clubs. His long ball passing accuracy of 41.9% was one of the best in the division for players in his position, and he was also able to chip in with three goals.

His new long-term contract could up the fee commanded by Derby. However, as possibly the most important cog in Warne’s side, it is hard to see him being let go without a replacement already lined up.

Darren Robinson

The Northern Ireland U21 midfielder joined the Rams just before the start of the 2021/22 season as a scholar from Dunnagon Swift in the Northern Ireland Football League Premiership. Since then, Robinson, 19, has excelled in the youth sides at the East Midlands club.

He was promoted from the U18s to the U21s in his first year in England, making 14 appearances in the Premier League 2 as the young Rams suffered from the fallout of administration, finishing bottom of the table.

Contrary to his team’s performance, Robinson was the stand-out and was rewarded with his first-team debut against Bristol City in April 2022.

Since then, the midfielder has been flirting between the senior and U21 squad, and spent the 2023/24 pre-season in Spain with Warne’s side – just a year after signing his first professional contract with Derby.

He signed a new two-year deal at the club, securing his future at Derby with his previous deal due to run out at the end of June 2024.

His opportunities in the first-team, while rare, have been great for the development of the Northern Irishman. He captained the U21s for the majority of last season, and made the senior bench 10 times.

A tough-tackling, defensive-minded player, the younger Derby midfielder also has an eye for a pass, starting his side’s attacks from deep. A loan move at this point in his career could be extremely beneficial, allowing him the game time in professional football to adapt and hone his skills, while giving Warne the opportunity to see what Robinson can offer on his return to Pride Park.

After a successful loan for Derby’s Dajaune Brown to Gateshead at the end of the 2023/24 season, clubs in the lower tiers of the EFL and the National League could be circling around Robinson to shore up their midfield with a young, competent player.