Derby County and Wycombe Wanderers are both potential destinations for Ipswich Town defender Elkan Baggott, according to a report from Detik. Derby County, who won promotion from League One last season, face competition from third-tier outfit Wycombe Wanderers for the Ipswich centre-back.
The report comes from Indonesian outlet Detik, which claims that the 21-year-old, capped 24 times by Indonesia, is set to be loaned out once again following the Tractor Boys’ promotion to the Premier League.
A graduate of Ipswich’s academy, Baggott has made seven appearances for his boyhood club since his debut in 2020, having regularly been sent out on loan over the past few years.
He featured a handful of times for King’s Lynn Town in 2021 before linking up with Gillingham in the 2022/23 season. His spell with the Gills was cut short midway through the campaign, leading to a temporary move to Cheltenham Town.
The youngster featured just once for Cheltenham in the second half of the season, returning to Ipswich Town in the summer before being snapped up by Bristol Rovers in the winter transfer window last term.
Baggott played 14 times for the Gas, scoring one goal and providing one assist during that period, helping them achieve a 15th place finish.
Highly rated by those at Portman Road, though understandably deemed not yet ready for the top flight, it is no surprise that another loan spell away from the club is on the cards, with Derby County and Wycombe Wanderers both showing interest.
Could Baggott boost Derby’s defence?
Of every area on the pitch, it was the Derby County defence that proved strongest last season.
Paul Warne’s side had the best defensive record in the entirety of the EFL, so logically it is the department that needs tweaking the least.
However, the step up to the Championship from League One presents a new challenge, and any upgrade is worth considering. Whether it directly impacts the starting XI or boosts squad depth, enhancing the defence is crucial as the East Midlands outfit returns to the second tier.
Derby County’s mainstays at centre-back last year were Eiran Cashin and Curtis Nelson. Sonny Bradley mainly featured when a back three was utilized, although he did have a strong end to the campaign.
Left-back Craig Forsyth often deputized centrally under Warne, while Ryan Nyambe is also capable of filling in on the right side of a back three. Youngster Darren Robinson is another candidate for that spot.
In this scenario, it seems that Baggott could be an option to provide natural cover for Cashin, Nelson, and Bradley.
The transfer window to date
The Rams have been fairly busy this summer, with plenty more to come according to BBC Radio Derby’s Dominic Dietrich, who reported Warne’s transfer intentions last week.
According to Dietrich, the Derby County boss outlined that his side needed strengthening defensively, alongside one or two more goalkeepers, three or four new midfielders, and possibly additional firepower in forward areas.
Ben Osborn, Kayden Jackson, Jerry Yates, and Kenzo Goudmijn are the four new arrivals so far, three of which are permanent deals, with Yates being a loan capture.
Louie Sibley, Joe Wildsmith, and Conor Hourihane have all left the club as free agents, joining Oxford United, West Brom, and Barnsley respectively. Korey Smith, Dwight Gayle, and Martyn Waghorn were also released but have yet to find new teams, while Scott Loach confirmed his retirement upon the expiry of his deal at Pride Park.
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