Derby County should consider Luton Town raid to boost Championship prospects: View | OneFootball

After a successful loan at Lincoln City, Derby County should be targeting Luton Town's Joe Taylor as they prepare for life in the Championship.

The striker scored 10 goals in 19 matches for the Imps in the second half of the 2023/24 season as his side just missed out on the play-offs.

The 21-year-old signed for Luton in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee from Peterborough United and helped the Hatters on their way to the Premier League with a converted penalty in the Championship play-off final shootout against Coventry City.

A loan move to Colchester United at the start of the season proved to be a success for the Wales U21 star as he scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, earning him a switch to League One with Michael Skubala's Lincoln.

His impact at the Sincil Bank Stadium took a bit of time to be felt. However, after scoring for the first time against Exeter City in February, Taylor would find the net nine more times in the next 13 games, as Lincoln missed out on sixth place on the final day of the season. This run of form would land him both the League One and the EFL Young Player of the Month Award for March.

Derby County would benefit from Taylor

Derby County should be monitoring Taylor's movements very closely after learning all about the striker in a 0-0 draw away at Lincoln in January. On that day, the Rams were lucky to keep him out of the goals, as he was shut out by Joe Wildsmith and a goal-line clearance from Eiran Cashin.

His key strength is his pace, a skill that was utilised fully in the latter part of the season by the Imps as they forced themselves into play-off contention. Taylor was also one of only a few players to consistently beat Cashin in a game last season and his aggression up front would be a great addition to the Rams in the Championship.

At nearly 6ft, the former Peterborough man can also be a threat from set pieces, a massive factor in Derby's promotion from League One in 2023/24. Paul Warne's side scored 24 goals from a dead ball scenario on their way to a 2nd place finish, the highest in the country, and they'll be hoping to continue that next season and fight against relegation in the second tier.

A loan move would be the most suited deal

Despite the desire from many in the Championship to sign Taylor on a permanent deal, Luton will be looking to hold on to their gem with the future in mind and so a loan deal would be the most probable outcome for Derby.

However, if the Rams are able to gain access to the same goal-scoring form that both Colchester and Lincoln benefitted from, it'd still be a great move for both player and club.

Derby brilliantly used the loan market in January, securing the services of Ebou Adams from Cardiff City - giving Taylor the knowledge that he would be in safe hands at Pride Park.

They need to replace Tyreece John-Jules this summer, as the Arsenal striker's loan deal expires. The Rams are also yet to release their retained list - with James Collins, Martyn Waghorn and Dwight Gayle all without deals for next season.

Despite whoever does or does not stay at Derby in the coming weeks, Taylor should still be at the top of Paul Warne's list. His finishing, pace and determination are attributes that give any side in the Championship a fighting chance of achieving their goals.