The Championship returns this week, and Derby County are doing all they can in preparation for the new campaign.
John Eustace has played down interest in Nectarios Triantis after it was reported on Thursday that the Rams had a £1.2m bid turned down for the Sunderland midfielder.
Injuries have been an issue throughout pre-season for the East Midlands outfit, and they are lacking depth in several positions as they prepare for their trip to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.
The right-back position is an interesting one for Derby, with all their senior options struggling for fitness. However, work is being done to bring in a new full-back who won the Austrian top flight last season.
Derby County fail with second bid for Sturm Graz’s Max Johnston
According to Anthony Joseph, the Rams have been pegged back in their attempts to sign Sturm Graz right-back, Max Johnston, after a bid of £1.6m was rejected on Sunday.
It had been reported on Friday that a £1.4m offer was turned down by the Austrian champions and now they have failed in their second approach.
Derby are not the only club in England keen on bringing Johnston in this summer, while there is also interest from across Europe after he made 24 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga last season – scoring once and registering five assists.
The 21-year-old made his debut for Scotland back in March, and he also has plenty of Champions League experience at his young age.
The Rams are facing issues defensively at the start of this season
Johnston is not the only player whom Derby have struggled in their attempts to sign this summer. Callum Brittain chose Middlesbrough in favour of the Rams at the end of last month, as the right-back prepares to leave Blackburn Rovers.
Meanwhile, a £1m bid for Bristol City’s Zak Vyner was rejected in July. Eustace needs another centre-back with his key players in that position still on their way back to full fitness.
The Derby head coach is a fan of Johnston, and was not shy about talking about him on Saturday after the Rams’ 2-0 win over Greek side Atromitos. He said (via: BBC Radio Derby): “I know Max. He’s a really good, exciting young player.
“He’s not our player. We’re looking to improve the squad all the time and if we can bring good quality in to help the group. I think it’s very evident we still need to keep bringing good players into the squad to help the boys.”
It’s vital that Derby do add to their defensive unit due to their history of injury problems, and Johnston will be a priority ahead of their first Championship fixture of 2025/26.
