Why Derby County singing Ben Whiteman wouldn’t make much sense
According to Football Insider (h/t Derbyshire Live), Derby County are among a group of clubs to have expressed an interest in securing the services of midfielder Ben Whiteman, who currently plies his trade with Doncaster Rovers in the League One.
EFL Championship rivals Barnsley and Blackburn Rovers are also exploring the possibility of making a late bid for the 23-year-old, who has been a key player for Doncaster in the third-tier this term. (Football Insider h/t Derbyshire Live)
As per the report, Rams boss Phillip Cocu has indicated that he is looking to add a couple of new faces to bolster his squad before the January deadline, with a new centre-back and a wide attacker/ forward understood to be on the Dutchman‘s wishlist.
Whiteman has clocked up 23 appearances for Darren Moore’s side in the third-tier so far this season, scoring 5 times in the process.
Born in Rochdale, Whiteman started his footballing education at Man United and played for various age-groups in the Red Devils’ academy. However, he failed to make the grade and switched to Sheffield United to further his development.
The 23-year-old featured sporadically for the Blades in the League One but never got a chance to play in the Championship. A successful loan spell at Mansfield Town in the fourth-tier paved the way for a loan move to Doncaster in the League One before Whiteman completed a permanent transfer to the Keepmoat Stadium.
The central midfielder has since established himself as a consistent performer for Rovers in the English third-tier and was instrumental as the club reached the League One Playoffs last season. Whiteman has clocked up a total of 125 appearances for Doncaster, scoring 16 times and laying on a further 7 assists.
Derby are yet to add to Wayne Rooney’s arrival at Pride Park but their interest in Ben Whiteman is difficult to comprehend, simply because the Rams don’t need to prioritize adding more cover to an already well-stocked midfield cavalry.
Krystian Bielik, who came through the door at Pride Park from Arsenal, has proven his worth in both central defensive and central midfield roles under Cocu.
Graeme Shinnie’s arrival on a free transfer from Aberdeen also yielded positive returns for the Rams, although the Scotsman did succumb to a hamstring injury back in November.
Furthermore, young academy duo of Jason Knight and Max Bird has really come of age under the charismatic guidance of Cocu while others like Tom Huddlestone and Duane Holmes have also played their part alongside Bielik.
Verdict
Derby have more than enough depth and quality in the middle of the park, despite injuries to Evans and Shinnie. Suffice to say, the Championship outfit don’t need Whiteman at the moment.
