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Trade Talk: Derby County urged to target Wolves’ rising star to boost aging attack
With Paul Warne at the helm, Derby County returned to form in the 2023–24 season, earning a promotion back to the Championship.
However, the Rams may have two players who are unable to produce the necessary goals in the Championship due to their aging strikers, James Collins and Conor Washington.
In addition, the Derby attack will require a more youthful mindset if they are to thrive, as both Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen are approaching the end of their careers.
So, who better to look at than Nathan Fraser of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who has made an impression in a team beset by injuries? Wolves will probably consider a loan move for him next season, and Warne’s team might be the best option.
He’s a young player, only 19 years old, but he’s already showed a lot of promise in his brief career, and he can continue to improve next season.
Following the injuries to Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha, Fraser was granted the chance to play for the first team thanks to his impressive record of 26 goal contributions in 63 youth team games.
Fraser has played 348 minutes in his 11 first-team outings, averaging 116 minutes per game with two goals and one assist. Manager Gary O’Neil has praised him for his strong performances and expressed joy with his effort.
“I was really impressed with him last week; he was giving it his all right up until the point where we had to remove him because he was really at his last straw and was unable to move his legs.
“I love that about him, that he’s unbelievably willing to do whatever it takes.” Fraser does require more playing time to reach his full potential since he was scheduled to move on loan to Shrewsbury Town in January, before Wolves’ injury issue.
One of the main reasons Derby County was promoted to the Championship was experience. The aforementioned four helped Derby win several significant points at different points in the game with their combined 58 goals and assists.
Even though all four of these players have excelled in the Championship, Nathan Fraser, a young player, can strengthen their offensive line. At six feet two, he possesses the ability to combine strong finishing with hold-up play, a crucial component of every Warne squad.
Fraser may gain important experience from Collins and Washington as well, and he can use this knowledge throughout the season to try and establish himself as a Championship attacker.
