Why Derby County should go all out to sign Jake Cooper in the summer
Derby County have been a good side to watch this season, with Frank Lampard showing ability to manage his key players in his managerial debut.
Sacking Gary Rowett and bringing in Lampard as the manager at the start of the season was a bit baffling for the Derby County fans but as the season has progressed, the Chelsea legend has shown that he is the right man for the job.
The Rams are currently seventh on the table, two points adrift of the last play-off place. There is every chance for Derby to clinch a place in play-offs after doing so well in Lampard’s first managerial season. Derby have been perennial underachievers of the Championship and Lampard will be confident of erasing that tag.
It will be a fascinating next couple of months and even if Derby fail to get promoted, Lampard should be very pleased with the way his first season at Pride Park panned out. Lampard has a very good squad at his disposal but there’s a lot of work to be done behind the scenes.
One area he must prioritise strengthening in the summer transfer window is the defence. The acquisition of free agent Efe Ambrose has solved Derby’s defensive crisis temporarily but on the whole, they are a couple of quality defenders short. Curtis Davies and Richard Keogh are entering the twilight of their careers, while Fikayo Tomori will return back to Chelsea after the expiry of his loan in summer.
To avoid a potential burnout of options, Lampard should make a move for Millwall’s highly-rated defender Jake Cooper.
Jake Cooper, 24, has been outstanding for Millwall this season and undoubtedly been one of the best defenders in the Championship. He has played 31 Championship games this term, scoring five goals and supplying six assists, a remarkable return for a defender.
Cooper has been noted for his game-reading and passing ability this season, with bringing the ball out from the back one of the special features of his game. He is tall, strong and powerful and outmuscles his opponents with relative ease. The former Reading man is excellent in the air and rarely flusters in pressure situations. Not to forget, his ability to chip in with crucial goals makes him an asset to have in the team.
Read more: Derby County might have just taken a leap towards securing promotion by signing this 30-year-old – Here is why it is a brilliant move
To sum it up, the 24-year-old has already shown strong signs of excellence and it would definitely be a brilliant idea for Derby to spend big on Cooper in summer. The giant centre-half could turn out to be a fantastic long-term prospect for the Rams.
