Football League teams are always on the lookout for the next superstar talent to propel their club to the next level, or as a money making opportunity.
Derby County are a club who have a great history of bringing players through their own youth academy who have gone onto great things.
Managers love a project, and the thought of a young talented player who they can nurture and watch grow is a prospect that would excite most managers.
As well as looking to bring players through your own youth setup there is plenty of talented younger players playing in the Football League just waiting to be plucked by one of the big boys.
A team the size of Derby County has the draw to attract most footballers to the club and this article takes a look at THREE players with bags of potential they should be looking to bring in……
Zach Clough
21-year-old Bolton forward Zach Clough is another potential wonderkid who should be on the radar of the management staff at The Ipro Stadium.
Clough burst onto the scene towards the back end of the 2014-2015 campaign when he scored a remarkable 6 goals in 10 games for the Bolton senior team.
The form he showed towards the end of that campaign led to him being a regular fixture in the starting line up throughout the 2015-2016 season, when he made 27 appearances, scoring 7 goals.
He is an excellent finisher and has the knack of being able to stay ice cool infront of goal despite his lack of first team experience.
Clough is more than just a goal poacher, he is excellent with the ball at his feet and has very good dribbling ability, he enjoys dropping deep and dictating play and is very good at linking the midfield to the forward line.
Clough has been touted as potentially a future England international and I’m sure many scouts will be tasked with keeping an eye on his development over the coming months and years.
Alfie Mawson
In recent weeks he has been the subject of transfer speculation and has been linked to various top end Championship clubs, and Derby County are a club who should definitely be taking an interest in the young man.
In Alfie Mawson, Barnsley have a young, strong imposing centre back with bags of potential.
Mawson started his career at Brentford although he did fail to make a single appearance for the first team, he enjoyed numerous loan spells while at the club with the likes of non league Maidenhead United and Welling United and also with Luton Town.
But, it was his loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers where Mawson excelled and caught the eye of numerous clubs, in League Two he played a crucial part in Wycombe’s campaign making 45 appearances and scoring an impressive 6 goals.
His performances while on loan at Adams Park alerted Barnsley to the 22-year-old and they quickly swooped in and contracted him to a three year deal in the summer of 2015.
Mawson had an incredibly successful season in helping Barnsley to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy title and promotion to the Championship, he made 48 appearances scoring 7 goals and has quickly become a fans favorite at Oakwell.
Rico Henry
Henry has been subject of intense transfer speculation this summer, following Walsall’s failure to secure promotion to the Championship, and many clubs have been rumoured to be interested in the 19-year-old.
Henry enjoyed a fantastic season last time out which resulted in him being shortlisted for the Football League Young Player of the Year award, although he missed out on winning the award which was won by Lewis Cook, formerly of Leeds United.
Henry made 40 appearances last season, scoring 3 goals, he is a pacey fullback who poses a constant threat due to his willingness to get forward and his dribbling and crossing ability.
He has been touted as a potential future England senior international and he has already been capped by the national team at under 19 level for whom he has earned 2 caps.
To top off Henry’s fantastic campaign he was named in the PFA Sky Bet League 1 team of the year.