Derby County should sign Abdenasser El Khayati in January
The much-awaited transfer window is finally open and it is the last chance for the promotion-chasing teams to add some fresh faces which would help them in their bid for promotion.
Frank Lampard’s Derby County currently sit 6th in the standings with 43 points from 26 games. Things were brighter for the Rams heading into the month of December but the Pride Park outfit have made things difficult for themselves with 2 wins out of 6 games in the Championship last month.
As things stand, Derby hold the final playoff spot for promotion but 7th-placed Nottingham Forest are breathing on their neck. There are still plenty of games to go and things can change very quickly but the Rams find themselves in a precarious position as far as their hopes for promotion are concerned.
Derby need some extra firepower and experience in their attack to push for promotion. In fact, they are only 6 points behind 2nd-placed Norwich City, meaning that automatic promotion is not a distant dream if they can string together a solid winning streak. Lampard’s men have a decent goalscoring record, having scored 38 goals so far but they are well behind the likes of Norwich, West Brom or Aston Villa in that aspect.
The Rams have relied heavily on Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson and Jack Marriott to deliver the goods in the final third. Mason Mount and Wilson are probably the only two creative players that they have in their ranks. While Wilson has made a strong statement on his loan spell with 9 goals, Marriott has netted 7 so far.
However, Derby can add more substance to their attack by making a move for a versatile attacker who can play in multiple positions in the attacking third. And ADO Den Haag forward Abdenasser El Khayati will be a perfect fit for Frank Lampard’s side.
El Khayati had a fruitful spell at Burton Albion three years back where he scored 11 goals in 42 games. The 29-year-old joined Championship side QPR in 2016 but things didn’t quite fall into place for him and he moved back to ADO Den Haag in 2017.
El Khayati has rediscovered his goal-scoring mojo back in the Eredivisie, registering 31 goals and 17 assists from 65 appearances across all competitions for his current club.
Standing at 6ft. 1 inch with a lean and thin frame, El Khayati is a versatile attacker who is primarily a central attacking midfielder by trade but he has been deployed on either flank as a wide forward as well. He is exceptionally fleet-footed for a player of his stature and has the drive and the determination to weave his way past the defenders to create chances.
One of his main attributes is his powerful shooting from outside the box, while he is also adept at cutting inside from the flanks to set up goals. The 29-year-old often drops deep to receive the ball and uses his vision to play his teammates in behind the back line with inch-perfect lobbed passes. Blessed with good tactical awareness, he has the tendency to find the right pass and also gets into good scoring positions inside the box to put away the chances. Furthermore, he is also a good crosser of the ball and excels with his deliveries from set-pieces.
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El Khayati has averaged 3.1 shots, 2.9 key passes, 2.9 crosses and 3.3 long balls per game in the Eredivisie this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a playmaking forward.
That said, he has all the qualities to provide competition for the likes of Marriott, Wilson and Tom Lawrence up front and Derby should start pursuing a keen interest in the Dutchman.
