Derby County are in talks over a deal that would see Phil Jagielka move to Pride Park this summer.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that Wayne Rooney is planning to offer the 38-year-old a contract ahead of next season, with the centre-back reported to already be training with the club.
The defender is available to sign on a free transfer after leaving Sheffield United at the end of last season, with the Rams waiting for EFL clearance in order to complete a deal for the former England international.
Fans should be worried
While it is abundantly clear that Derby are in need of a number of additions in the centre of defence ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign, as Rooney currently has no contracted centre-backs in his squad, the potential signing of Jagielka should be a transfer that causes worry amongst fans.
It is undeniable that the former Everton defender was a fantastic player in his day, however, with the 38-year-old now well into the twilight of his playing career, whether he would be a worthwhile signing for Derby is very much up for debate.
Indeed, over his 10 Premier League appearances for Sheffield United last season, the £225k-rated man did not reach anywhere near the level he once was capable of, failing to help his side keep a single clean sheet, as well as making an average of just one interception, 0.5 tackles and winning just 1.9 duels per game.
These metrics saw the £22k-per-week defender earn an extremely disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.38, ranking him as the Blades’ joint-worst performer in the top flight of English football.
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As such, if this form is anything to go by, the man Simon Moore dubbed a “massive” player would not appear to be a very good signing for Derby whatsoever, particularly if the centre-back is demanding a salary anywhere near the amount of money he was on at Sheffield United.
In other news: Crawley drops Derby transfer claim on “phenomenal” £5k-p/w gem, Rooney will be gutted