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 are interested in signing Dillon Phillips from Charlton Athletic following the club’s relegation back to League One.
According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (27/07, 16:39), Phillips has a number of Championship clubs chasing him including Cardiff City, Middlesbrough, Huddersfield Town and, of course, Derby.
So, would the 25-year-old goalkeeper be a good signing for Phillip Cocu?
Our writers discuss…
Louie Chandler
I think Phillips would prove to be a good signing for anyone in the second-tier following his impressive campaign at The Valley.
But for Phillip Cocu a goalkeeper may prove to be a bigger priority than any other position this summer.
Kelle Roos and Ben Hamer have both been far from convincing between the sticks for The Rams this season so their need for Phillips may well trump that of their potential rivals in the chase.
Derby will be one side spending cautiously this summer with potential sanctions ready to be brought down on them in the future if their spending goes astray again, but Phillips would represent a high-value option.
George Harbey
This should be a no-brainer for Phillip Cocu and Derby County.
Derby definitely need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, as for me, Kelle Roos is far too inconsistent and has made quite a few glaring errors this season. He doesn't seem comfortable at commanding his area and playing the ball out from the back, and the latter is so important under Cocu.
Ben Hamer will obviously return to Huddersfield Town, too, and he has also been quite hit and miss for the Rams, so the permanent arrival of a solid goalkeeper like Phillips would be a smart choice for Derby, after he stood out for Charlton this season.
He is only 25-years-old and there is room for development there, but he would add competition to a position which Derby need to strengthen in, and he isn't likely to cost a lot either.
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Ned Holmes
I love this from a Derby perspective.
There is so much for the Rams to be positive about heading into next season but their options between the sticks is an area of real concern.
Roos has been far from convincing and Hamer has left at the end of his loan deal, so more reinforcements are needed.
Phillips was hugely impressive for Charlton last term and showed that he has the quality to perform consistently at Championship level.
At 25, he could be the Rams number one for some time and should continue to improve over the next few years.
This move makes a huge amount of sense for me and it's one that Derby should be pushing to get done.