Derby County may consider bringing in Zach Marsh, a young star at Crystal Palace, to help rotate their attacking options the following campaign.
- Derby County could freshen up their attacking options with young talent like Crystal Palace’s Zach Marsh for the upcoming season.
- Marsh’s impressive goal-scoring record and versatility make him a promising transfer target for the Rams seeking consistency and depth.
- With a history of successful transfers between Derby and Palace, adding Marsh to the striking options could provide a boost for Derby’s return to the Championship.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Derby County try to add some Crystal Palace youth to their attacking lineup this summer given their wealth of experience and the unlucky injury problems they’ve encountered this season.
Many would have predicted that the East Midlands team, with Conor Washington and Martyn Waghorn joining an attacking group that already included James Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, would climb to the top of the League One table and remain there, with their attacking options taking all the credit for scoring goals.
That hasn’t been the case, though, because of those summer arrivals’ injury layoffs and the apparent serious injury that sidelined James Collins, the team’s first choice striker, during the middle of the season. Therefore, with the Rams seemingly headed back to the Championship, Paul Warne should focus on Palace rookie Zach Marsh if he wants to maintain consistency within the team the following season.
Marsh is a major prospect for Crystal Palace
It is easy to understand why Marsh has been included in The Evening Standard’s list of the Top 50 London Youth.
For the Eagles’ age-group teams this season, the 18-year-old has scored 18 goals in 18 games, demonstrating his exceptional play. In the U18 Premier League, he has scored four hat-tricks against West Ham, Fulham, Southampton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He has also added four assists to his goal total.
For such a young player, his strike rate reads amazingly well, with a goal every 66 minutes of play, especially in the league where he has 18 goals in 12 games.
The teenager won the Palace U18s player of the season award last season after demonstrating his ability as a creator with 12 assists.
Should Derby decide to move forward and look into a possible loan arrangement with the Eagles, Marsh’s versatility across the front line should make him an even more exciting addition. He would undoubtedly help strengthen Derby’s options on the wings if they encounter injury issues once more the following season, having gained experience on both the right and left wing since joining Palace’s academy in 2022.
Derby and Palace have transfer history
The two teams have recently transacted during transfer windows, with each transaction bringing players from the Rams to SE19.
There are many reasons to think that the next possible transfer between the two clubs will be a huge success, even though two of the three most recent and well-known transfers haven’t quite reached their peak yet.
Plange and Ebiowei were both plucked from Derby at an early age, having impressed so much during their difficult men’s football rookie seasons. Therefore, Palace could look to a well-known youth club in their academy to assist in developing their upcoming star. In addition, Marsh’s tenure at the club might be less problematic than that of his fellow academy teammates now that the team is owned by a different company.
Paul Warne will want to shuffle his striking options
Manager Warne will undoubtedly have a lot to think about after his team’s Easter Weekend matches against Portsmouth and Blackpool, who currently sit atop the table, as they appear to be headed for promotion. Derby could have a difficult season if the Rams’ manager chooses to stick with his current front-line options. The Championship is expected to feature a division full of former Premier League teams, so the competition will be of a high calibre.
As was previously mentioned, Washington, a summer acquisition, hasn’t performed up to the level that many had anticipated from the former Rotherham player. The writing is clearly on the wall for him after a lacklustre nine-touch performance against Blackpool that ended with a substitution with twenty minutes remaining.
Their three senior strikers, Collins (33), Waghorn (34) and January addition Dwight Gayle (34), have expiring contracts, so Warne won’t have many options when it comes to choosing a man to lead the line in 2024–2025.
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