Derby County could be set to lose one of their most regular players at the start of next year, and he isn't the only player set to be targeted by former manager Wayne Rooney.
Who is leaving Derby County?
Over the summer, Paul Warne sanctioned the permanent sales of Jason Knight, Krystian Bielik, David McGoldrick, Curtis Davies, James Chester and Richard Stearman, whilst sending Kwaku Oduroh out on loan to Rochdale for the remainder of the season in order to receive more regular game time.
The Rams, however, are facing an uncertain future over several of their squad members because 16 of them will be out of contract at the end of the current campaign, meaning that the upcoming window will be the hierarchy’s final chance to cash in should they not want to risk losing any of their prized assets for free (Derby contracts).
At Pride Park, Eiran Cashin is one of the stars to be nearing the end of his deal, and with the centre-back having established himself as the boss’ overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.38 (WhoScored – Derby statistics), he won’t be short of potential suitors should he depart.
Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion reportedly saw four offers for the 21-year-old rejected before the previous transfer deadline having not placed enough cash on the table, but if the following update is to be believed, another club have entered the race.
Eiran Cashin transfer update
According to TEAMtalk who have shared a transfer update on Eiran Cashin, Derby's defender has emerged as a possible target for Rooney, who was yesterday appointed as the new manager of Birmingham City.
The St. Andrew's outfit are reportedly willing to hand their boss a huge budget in January and he has already set his sights on raiding his former club, where Louie Sibley, Liam Thompson and Max Bird are also named as potential players that he could consider a swoop for.
The Rams are keen to retain the services of their quartet, but with the former having been handed his debut under the ex-coach, who knows whether he could be tempted to form a reunion.
How tall is Eiran Cashin?
Standing at 6 foot exactly, Cashin isn’t the tallest of centre-backs but he is still able to provide a fantastic physical presence at the heart of Derby’s backline, where he’s averaging 5.3 aerial wins and five clearances per game in League One (WhoScored – Cashin statistics).
The Mansfield-born talent is also capable of making a positive contribution at the opposite end of the pitch when it comes to set pieces, as he’s posted 17 involvements, 12 goals and five assists, in 150 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – Cashin statistics).
Furthermore, Cashin, who pockets £3.3k-per-week (Derby salaries), has been dubbed a “warrior” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for the fighting spirit and passion that he brings to the backline, so the thought of losing him in the new year will be a blow for the Rams.