Derby County should make a move for Wolves outcast Dominic Iorfa
According to Birmingham Live, Wolves’ out-of-favour defensive duo of Dominic Iorfa and Ethan Ebanks-Landell has attracted the attention of several League One and Championship sides.
Dominic Iorfa has been frozen out of the first-team picture by Nuno Espirito Santo since the start of last season but the 23-year-old flying full-back has done exceptionally well for the Wolves U23 side.
A product of the Wolverhampton academy, Dominic Iorfa made his senior debut back in the 2014-15 season in the Championship. He quickly cemented his place as a regular starter at Molineux, making 20 appearances in the Championship in the debut season.
Iorfa was a regular for Wolves in their subsequent 2015-15 and 2016-17 campaigns in the Championship but fell out of favour under Nuno Santo and was loaned out to Ipswich Town last season.
The 23-year-old has quite an appealing profile for a player of his age, having played for England at the U18 and U20 levels including 13 caps at the U21 stage. Apart from that, he has accumulated 93 appearances for Wolves at the senior level across all competitions.
Iorfa has shown the rare versatility of being able to play as a right-back and also as a quarterback in a back three formation. Standing at 6ft. 4 inches with a towering frame, Iorfa is exceptionally quick and agile for a player of his stature, something that allows him to play in multiple positions across the backline. His towering stature coupled with his strength and agility helps him get the better of his offensive counterparts.
The former England U21 international is more than capable of stamping his authority over the opposition in the air, which makes him a useful player to have at both ends during set-pieces and corners. He doesn’t hesitate to go into challenges and has a fairly good disciplinary record for a defender.
However, he is most renowned for his powerful driving runs down the right and can also operate as a right-sided midfielder. While his lack of goals and assists is definitely a red flag for a modern-day full-back, he has the ability to add that much-needed impetus to the attack with his energetic presence, drawing the defenders out from their positions and allowing his teammates to make incisive runs.
To put things into perspective, he would be a good addition to Derby County’s squad in January. The Rams have made a bright start to the season under Frank Lampard and currently sit 7th in the standings. Derby have a decent defensive record, having conceded 24 goals so far. However, the Rams lag behind the likes of West Brom and Leeds United in terms of the number of goals scored.
Iorfa is not particularly renowned for his goalscoring abilities but he can add that impetus and energy to Derby’s attack. And the Rams need fresh faces in January to boost their chances of securing a much-awaited promotion.
In fact, Lampard can improve his team dynamics to a large extent by signing Iorfa as he is the sort of player who can contribute to both the attack and the defence. Jayden Bogle hasn’t done too well for the Rams in the right-back position this season but Lampard hasn’t backed Andre Wisdom either.
Read More:- Opinion – Signing this 23-year-old wall could solve Derby County’s defensive conundrum
The fact that Richard Keogh is 32 and Curtis Davies is 33 further documents the need for bolstering the backline with young blood.
Hence, Derby County can bag a massive coup by making a move for this immensely-talented former England U21 international in January.
