Kenzo Goudmijn, a midfielder for AZ Alkmaar, has agreed to join Derby for a cost of £600k and a four-
year contract. This will be Derby’s fourth summer acquisition.
The 22-year-old had his medical exam yesterday in preparation for his relocation to Pride Park. In
Derbyshire, he will be joining three other new players: Ben Osborn, Kayden Jackson, and Jerry Yates.
Goudmijn, a talented and creative midfielder, played in the Eredivisie last season while on loan at
Excelsior Rotterdam. Although the team was unfortunately demoted from the premier league, the new
Rams player could still be proud of himself.
In 22 games, he produced seven great chances and four assists, highlighting his offensive prowess in a
losing team.
Not just Goudmijn is expected to join.
from the top division in the Netherlands, as Derby hunts for a new goalie.
Rumors surfaced that Derby was interested in signing goalkeeper Mathew Ryan as a free agent in June;
the Australian’s contract has since expired.
Since then, there has been a new development in their pursuit of the 32-year-old. According to Dutch
publication Voetbal Primeur, Ryan is headed to Derby after turning down multiple contract offers from
AZ Alkmaar.
The 92-cap Australia International played five times in the Europa Conference League last season and
maintained 13 clean sheets in 29 outings for the Eredivisie team.
Ryan was a standout player during his two seasons at the Dutch powerhouses, but he is more
remembered for his four seasons at Brighton and Arsenal combined, when he was a fixture on 126 times.
Under Chris Hughton, he quickly rose to fame at the Seagulls. The seasoned manager called him
“outstanding” during a 1-0 victory over Newcastle in October 2018.
Read more:
Mathew Ryan would be the perfect Joe Wildsmith replacement
This summer, replacing Joe Wildsmith was top of the priority list. Surprisingly, when the 28-year-old
won the League One Golden Glove Award, Derby let him to leave at the end of his contract.
With 37 goals allowed in 46 games, the Rams had the top defense in the division previous season, but
Paul Warne thought he could do better.
Ryan’s background and quality between the posts make him a significant upgrade over Wildsmith. Ryan
has made 124 appearances in the Premier League.
Without a doubt, Derby’s defense is the greatest component of their starting lineup right now, but the
Championship will put a lot more pressure on it.
Warne requires a strong goalkeeper in order to
between the sticks, someone with experience managing stressful situations. Ryan has demonstrated his
ability to command a defense and instill unflinching faith in his abilities both at the club and
international levels.
These two qualities will be crucial if Derby hopes to maintain their Championship status.
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