This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County manager Phillip Cocu is looking to bolster his defensive options with the Rams interested in signing the former French World Cup winner Adil Rami before Friday’s transfer deadline, according to a report by The Athletic.

Rami has a wealth of experience in Europe’s top leagues but the centre-back has been struggling for game time at his current club Fenerbahce, and with Cocu having previously been head coach at the Turkish club in 2018 he may be at an advantage in gaining the Frenchman’s signature.

So would Rami be a good addition at Pride Park and is he actually currently needed by Cocu's side?

We discuss.........

Jordan Rushworth

“This would certainly be a highly ambitious move for the Rams to make before the end of the transfer window, with the experienced defender having enjoyed a largely successful career playing in the top flights of Spanish, French and Italian football.

“However, the defender has shown signs that he is starting to decline in his performances and abilities as he enters the latter stages of his career, which has seen him somewhat struggle to make a real impact with Turkish side Fenerbahce this campaign.

“Given Derby’s financial limitations at the moment it might prove to be too much of a risk for Phillip Cocu’s side to bring Rami to Pride Park, with Derby having already brought Wayne Rooney into the club this season.

“The Rams though are in need of adding to their options at the heart of their defence, with Richard Keogh still not really having been replaced by Cocu, which could suggest a move for an experienced campaigner such as Rami would be a useful option to boost their defensive numbers and quality.”

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Ben Lang

"Derby would certainly benefit from a centre-back addition before the window closes, but I think they should be setting their sights on younger players with a point to prove rather than someone like Rami.

"It is always beneficial to have experienced players in the side but I think Derby already have enough of this through the likes of Wayne Rooney, Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies in the team's spine.

"There can be no doubt that Rami is a high-quality defender, but I just feel the Rams should be placing their focus on younger talent, while it seems likely that Rami would join a Premier League club if he was to move to England anyway.

"Therefore, this move seems like something of a non-starter and I don't think Derby should exert too much energy into the deal when it seems so unlikely."

Kris Smith

“Derby definitely need a centre-back this month after dismissing Richard Keogh earlier in the season and losing Krystian Bielik for the season, so it’s a logical move.

“Last night, the Rams started with Andre Wisdom alongside Matt Clarke, showing the alarming lack of depth in their defensive line as Wisdom is more suited to right-back.

“Adil Rami has struggled for game time this season at Fenerbahce and could do with a move away as he sees out the twilight years of his career, to which Derby could be a solid route.

“The backline needs more experience at the moment and someone who can help shore them up, but I’m unsure as to whether Rami would be able to step into a struggling Championship side having not played regular football since the 2017/18 season.”