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Will there be rich pickings from clubs heading down to League One?

Burton Mail

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May 12, 2025

DERBY County's summer transfer planning is under way after the club secured their Championship status.

- By LEIGH CURTIS

Head coach John Eustace will work on improving his squad in his first transfer window at Pride Park Stadium.

And when clubs weigh up how to recruit in the summer, many will be casting an eye on relegated sides Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town.

Luton, who banked £100m from their year in the Premier League, said they didn’t need to sell any players for financial reasons when they were relegated to the Championship last summer but they still couldn’t keep Ross Barkley or Chie-dozie Ogbene.

It will be interesting to see how they make it through the next few months.

So who is there to pick out now?

Carlton Morris - Luton Town, striker, aged 29

Luton’s captain hasn’t found the net so frequently in 2024-25 but he scored 11 in the Premier League last year and 20 as the Hatters went up before that.

He had been a handful for Barnsley in the Championship for the two previous seasons, too.

Former Luton boss Rob Edwards said: "His goals were influential but whenever I spoke about him it was about his all-round game and what he brought to the team, whether it was hold-up play, work-rate, headers, defensive headers in his own box from corners.

"It was everything that he gave the team, as well as the goal threat."

Now Morris is planning for his first season in League One since a loan with MK Dons from Norwich City in 2020-21.

He was asked if the club had underestimated the hangover of relegation from the top flight and told the Lutonian: "Oh, yeah. You could rattle off six or seven contributing factors to what led us to the position we are now, for sure.

"It’s unfortunate. Obviously, I’m not going to go into detail on that. But you know, it is what it is.

"We need to get our heads on next season."

Callum O'Dowda - Cardiff City, left-back, aged 30

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