Derby County are currently preparing for the play-offs and they will face third place Fulham over two legs for a spot in the Championship play-off final.

If Derby can beat Fulham on the final day, it will be a Wembley clash with the winners of Aston Villa and Middlesbrough to decide who wins promotion to the Premier League.

The stakes are always so high at this stage of the season when teams enter the lottery of the play-offs.

Derby owner Mel Morris will have drawn up two separate transfer lists: one with targets if they stay down and another with players to snap up should the Rams win promotion.

Morris needs to back Gary Rowett with a sizeable budget if they go up so that Derby continue to rise and do not drop straight back down again.

If they do win promotion, here are three players who Derby must target this summer to ensure they have the best possible chance of surviving in the Premier League.

Derby need some extra legs in midfield if they go up and James McArthur would be an excellent acquisition.

The 30-year-old is very experienced with over 200 Premier League appearances under his belt from spells with Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace.

The Scotland international is able to break the play up in front of the defence and he would add plenty to Rowett's options.

Players like Shane Long are a manager's dream because of the effort, work rate and commitment they put in.

The 31-year-old will never stop running and he always puts in a great shift.

With 48 goals in 267 Premier League appearances, the Republic of Ireland international is far from prolific but he offers so much experience and his versatility will be useful for Derby's attacking options.

If Derby go up, they need someone to share the burden of goals with Matej Vydra because between Vydra, Cameron Jerome and Dave Nugent, they have three strikers who have all struggled to find the net on a regular basis in the Premier League.

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge will be looking for a route out of Anfield to reignite his stalling career and enhance his international hopes.

The 28-year-old is prolific when fit and he could follow in the foosteps of his uncle Dean Sturridge - who is Derby's all-time leading goal scorer in the Premier League.