A final-day defeat to Sheffield United saw Derby County miss out on the Championship play-offs, ending the season four points behind sixth-placed Hull City, who eventually secured promotion.
Manager John Eustace will now be aiming to guide the Rams to another strong campaign next season, especially with the Championship play-off spots set to expand from 2027.
The upcoming summer transfer window presents Derby with another opportunity to strengthen a squad that improved dramatically over the past year, climbing from 20th place to eighth.
The club backed Eustace heavily last summer with notable additions including Patrick Agyemang, Derry Murkin, Lewis Travis and Rhian Brewster.
One player reportedly on Derby’s radar ahead of the next transfer window is Anthony Patterson, as another active summer at Pride Park is anticipated.
Meanwhile, Jacob Widell Zetterström featured 32 times in the league for Derby last season, although he spent around three months out of the starting XI during the second half of the campaign.
The Swedish goalkeeper returned to action on 18 April in a 1-0 victory over Oxford United and went on to start the final four matches of the season.
Elsewhere, Anthony Patterson spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Millwall, making 14 league appearances as the Lions secured a third-place finish.
Although Alex Neil’s side fell short in the play-offs, Patterson already has promotion pedigree after helping Sunderland reach the Premier League in 2025.
Derby also saw dependable performances from Josh Vickers and Joe O’Donnell during Zetterström’s absence, underlining the club’s strength in depth between the posts.
As a result, goalkeeper may not be a priority area for recruitment unless Zetterström departs this summer. Even then, Eustace could decide to promote Vickers to the number one role rather than spend heavily on a replacement.
With Patterson attracting interest from several clubs and likely commanding a sizeable transfer fee, Derby’s reluctance to spend between £8 million and £10 million on the goalkeeper is understandable.
