Sat in the bottom-half of the table but just six points behind the play-off places, the second-half of the season is set to be crucial to Derby County as they intend to fight for a return to the top-flight of English football.

A run of just one defeat in their last seven games has really helped Derby improve the situation surrounding the club and the Rams will fancy themselves heading into this weekend's clash, with struggling Rotherham United.

From there though, Derby face difficult clashes with Norwich and Wigan before a huge clash with rivals Nottingham Forest and, by January, the Rams will have a real sense of how their season will end-up.

Promotion is the aim for Derby and whatever the situation in the New Year, signings will need to be made in order to improve the chances of Steve McClaren's side returning to the Premier League.

To achieve that aim, they may need to sign some top-flight players- and we've identified THREE ideal recruits...

Chuba Akpom

The 21-year-old Arsenal striker saw his chances of making an impact in the first-team severely hampered by an injury and with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Lukas Perez and Olivier Giroud ahead of him in the pecking order, it could be the end of the young forward's time with the Gunners.

A sale in January may be unlikely but another loan move for Akpom could occur and, if the situation doesn't improve in the summer, Derby could have a great option to sign the forward if they had already enjoyed a spell with him at the club.

Just three senior goals, which came during a loan spell with Hull City last season, could well be a concern but Akpom has the raw ability to develop into a top-class player.

Axel Tuanzebe

The highly-rated Manchester United teenager is likely to experience limited chances in the first-team this season, due to the strength in depth that Jose Mourinho's side boast, so a loan move for the 19-year-old could be extremely beneficial.

Tipped to be a superstar in the coming years, the teenager could become a key-part of Derby's promotion push and Manchester United would enjoy seeing the youngster continue his development with first-team football.

Due to his reputation, interest in the youngster could well be high though.

Lukasz Jutkiewicz

The 27-year-old Middlesbrough striker has been linked with a move to Derby this week and a transfer is likely in January, with the former Burnley forward having competition with the likes of Jordan Rhodes and Alvaro Negredo to compete with.

With a decade of experience playing in the Football League, Jutkiewicz is the sort of forward who could propel the Rams back to the top-flight. He can be a leading striker for the club but, due to his reputation, Derby could find themselves with a wealth of competition in the hunt for his signature.