Derby County will renew their attempts to bring Groningen defender Mike te Wierik to the club in the summer transfer window, with the Rams set to miss out on a Deadline Day move for the 27-year-old, according to Derbyshire Live.

The Rams have been linked with a potential move for te Wierik before the window closes, as Phillip Cocu looks to boost his options at the heart of Derby’s defence, with the Dutchman having been heavily reliant on both Matt Clarke and Curtis Davies to start at centre half over the last few months.

However, it is thought that a move for the defender before the transfer window closes is unlikely now, with Groningen likely to be keeping hold of the 27-year-old until the end of the campaign, with te Wierik an important figure at the heart of their defence.

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The 27-year-old, though, is out of contract in the summer, which could potentially see the Rams able to secure his signature on a free transfer during the summer transfer window – and that would somewhat soften the blow of missing out on him this month.

The verdict

This could be an encouraging development for the Rams, with Cocu clearly keen on bringing the defender to the club, and feeling he has the potential attributes to improve the quality available to Derby at the heart of their defence.

However, really Derby are in need of adding to their defensive options before the transfer window shuts, and it seems from this update that they will not be able to secure a move for te Wierik until at least the summer, which could leave them a little light for the rest of the campaign.

Groningen, though, understandably are wanting to keep the 27-year-old at the club for the remainder of the season, with the defender highly influential for the Dutch club in terms of helping to organise their defence.

Were Derby to bring the defender in on a free transfer in the summer it would represent a good piece of business for the Rams, and would at least see them address their defensive issues before the start of next season, and it could give Cocu the pre-season to work with the 27-year-old if they manage to secure the signing early on.