DONE DEAL: Derby County threw £9.8m down the drain on one awful s….

Knowing that a point against Carlisle United, who are now at the bottom of the table, will be sufficient to secure promotion back up to the Championship at Pride Park, Derby County can already taste the final-day champagne.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s 1-0 victory over Cambridge United may have been the game-winning goal that separates Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United from automatic promotion. The seasoned attacker wrapped around the unlucky opposition goalkeeper to score a vital goal.

If Derby moves up from League One back to the second tier, the Rams will know they can’t afford to overspend as they did in the past because of this noteworthy failure during a difficult time in the club’s recent history.

Derby days spent by Ikechi Anya
It’s safe to say Derby weren’t known for being a frugal team when it came to transfer activity through the door under former chairman Mel Morris.

The Rams spent a lot of money during the summer transfer window prior to the start of the 2016–17 campaign. They paid an outrageous £8 million to acquire Derby and an additional £4 million for his former Watford teammate Ikechi Anya.

Anya signed with the Hornets and scored eight goals and provided 24 assists before leaving, so Derby supporters must have been thrilled to see him in a Derby uniform.

The now-retired former Scotland international made just 38 appearances for the Rams over the course of four seasons before ending his playing career in 2020, making the move ultimately out to be a huge bust.

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