Derby County: Nick Powell can replace Mason Mount at Pride Park
According to latest reports from TEAMtalk, Derby County have joined the race to sign Wigan Athletic midfielder Nick Powell on a free transfer at the end of the season, as the Rams look to replace Chelsea loanee, Mason Mount.
The 25-year-old former Man United star is out of contract in the summer and has attracted interest from Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic, while Championship high-flyers Norwich City also credited with an interest in the creative ace. (h/t TEAMtalk)
Mount has been in tremendous form on his loan spell at Pride Park and has been a raging success in the Championship this season, scoring 8 goals and assisting a further 3 from 30 league appearances.
The 20-year-old has been an ever-present on the left of Frank Lampard’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, playing a key role in the Rams surge for promotion.
The Englishman netted a hat-trick in Derby’s most recent 4-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at home, as the Rams reignited their hopes of making it to the Premier League for the first time since 2007-08.
Powell, on the other hand, has been one of the few shining lights in what has been a disappointing campaign for Paul Cook’s Wigan Athletic.
The 25-year-old has contributed with 7 goals and 6 assists from 28 appearances in the Championship and has once again proven himself to be a key player for the club, having played a pivotal role in their promotion-winning League One campaign a couple of seasons back.
To put things into perspective, it would be a huge coup for Derby if they manage to fend off interest from other clubs to get their hands on the coveted playmaker in the summer.
Powell is a proven source of goals and assists in the Championship and he also has experience of playing in the Premier League with Man United and Leicester City, something which should appeal to the Rams.
Mason Mount and Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson have been key cogs in Derby’s attack but the Rams should start planning for life without two of their star players as there is very little possibility that either of them will be at Pride Park beyond the end of the season.
Even if Chelsea choose to cash in on Mount, which they are unlikely to do with the transfer ban looming large, signing Mount permanently is likely to be beyond Derby’s financial capability.
Hence, they have every reason to look at Nick Powell as a viable alternative and getting a player of his calibre on board for free should help the Rams cope with the departure of Mount.
Powell won’t provide that energetic presence and work-rate of Mount in central midfield but he can certainly add tooth to the attack with his ability to contribute with goals and assists.
He won’t be an exact like-for-like replacement as the Wigan man is more suited to a No.10 position behind the striker and doesn’t have the versatility to play in a withdrawn role.
However, his creativity, vision, goal-scoring prowess and ability to work the half-spaces between the opposition’s defence in the final third should help Derby improve massively.
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Mount, though, is not the only midfielder who is likely to head for the exit door at Pride Park, with the future of Leicester City loanee Andy King still up in the air and Craig Bryson out of contract in the summer.
The acquisition of Powell on a free transfer would undoubtedly be a massive bonus for Derby and arguably their best bet to replace the hugely-impressive Mason Mount.
