Derby County are aiming for promotion once again, this time under former Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson.

The Rams have been in the promotion race for the last three seasons now, but have fallen at the final hurdle each time, finishing third, eighth and fifth in their last three attempts.

Mel Morris has invested heavily in the squad since his takeover at the club. Last summer he put £25 million into the team, bringing in 12 new players.

After a great first half to the season, in which the Rams ended 2015 in second place, they crumbled and were forced into the play-offs, with Paul Clement losing his job in the process.

Derby have some great talent in the attacking department, however inconsistency has been a massive problem in the last two seasons.

Many blamed Clement's style of play for the lack of results at the start of the calendar year, and the ship wasn't truly steadied until the arrival of Harry Redknapp as director of football.

Here, FootballLeagueWorld writer Rob Booth identifies a front THREE that would be lethal for Derby in the 2016/17 season...

Tom Ince

Tom Ince joined Derby last summer following a successful loan spell in the previous season.

Some Rams fans were unhappy with Ince's work rate in the 2015/16 season, feeling his performances didn't reflect the £4.75 million price tag.

However, he is a young player with lots of potential, and has already proven himself at Championship level with former club Blackpool, and his performances when he was on loan at Derby were also fantastic.

In an attacking, consistent Derby team, Ince would thrive since he's a quality winger on his day.

Jonathan Kodjia

Jonathan Kodjia has been linked with a move to Derby this summer.

The Frenchman scored 19 Championship goals last season as Bristol City survived the drop in their first season back in the second tier.

Kodjia is a fast, powerful striker that would walk straight into the Derby team.

Chris Martin is a good goalscorer but he isn't quick or agile, so he can't contribute as much to fast, attacking football.

Johnny Russell

Johnny Russell was arguably Derby's best player in the closing months of the 2015/16 season, with six of his 10 goals last season coming in the final three months of the campaign.

Russell was part of the Derby side that reached the play-off final in 2014, and he's a fan favourite at the iPro Stadium.

A lot Rams fans have been demanding a new winger, but Russell is more than capable of doing a job.

He can both score goals and create chances, but he also shows a lot of passion and is proud to wear a Derby shirt, which only adds to the list of reasons why fans love him.

Derby fans... would you like to see this lethal front three at the iPro next season? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!