Derby County are facing a hugely uncertain period over the club’s long-term future amid the possibility of a points deduction and also over their ownership situation.

That is going to make it a very challenging situation for them over the summer to put themselves in a stronger position for the start of next season so they avoid another potential relegation battle. Wayne Rooney is going to hope to be able to add some players to his squad in the forthcoming transfer window, but whether or not he can do that will depend on the ownership situation.

The Rams do have some valuable assets on their books that they would be able to sell were to things to get to a point where they need to start cashing in on certain players. Hopefully, for Derby it will not come to that and they can instead look to add to what they have in the summer.

With all that in mind, we have had a go at ranking who we think are the top 10 most valuable players within the Rams’ current squad of players…

Before we start this list, it is worth mentioning that loan players that will be heading back to parent clubs now the season has finished have not been factored in here. That means the likes of Matt Clarke, Teden Mengi and Patrick Roberts do not feature when they might have done otherwise.

Starting off the list in tenth then is Martyn Waghorn. The Rams might well be set to lose the forward on a free transfer this summer with him being linked with a potential return to Ipswich Town. He was signed by Derby for a fee reported by Sky Sports to have been around £5 million. Since then, he has been a decent enough option, scoring nine goals in his first term and then 12 in 2019/20.

However, his performance levels have dropped off this season and he only managed to fire in five league strikes in 32 appearances. Now at the age of 31, his value is on the way down but he did highlight his value to Rooney’s side by stepping up when it mattered against Sheffield Wednesday.

In ninth place on this list is midfielder Graeme Shinnie, who is a valuable asset to the Derby side at the moment and still has an important part to play for them moving forwards you would imagine.

Shinnie was signed by the Rams in the summer of 2019 on a free transfer from Aberdeen, and the midfielder proved to be a decent signing in his first campaign with the club under Phillip Cocu. The 29-year-old managed to score twice in 23 league appearances last term. While this season, he managed three strikes in his 41 appearances.

The midfielder is never going to command a hefty transfer fee at this stage in his career, but he always does an effective enough job in the middle of the park for Derby. He is someone who offers experience and will be an important part of the squad that Rooney is looking to build for next season.

In eighth place here is Nathan Byrne, who is a player that offers some vital moments of quality for the Rams in their right-back role. That will have some value in the transfer market at the moment with him being a decent enough performer this term.

Byrne was signed by the Rams last summer for an undisclosed fee from Wigan Athletic, and the right-back has been able to perform reasonably well for them down their right-hand side this season. The 28-year-old has managed to get forwards to good effect at times and registered four assists in his 41 Championship appearances.

The defender is in what would be described now as his prime years, and the Rams will hope they can get more from him next season and over the next few years. Byrne was a consistent performer for Wigan during his time with them so the hope will be he can show that again at Pride Park.

In seventh place here is a player that should and would be higher on this list had he not endured an underwhelming campaign due to a mixture of injury issues and loss of form when he has featured.

Lawrence was signed by the Rams in the summer of 2017 for a fee that according to Sky Sports could rise to as much as £7 million. The attacker managed to score six goals and provide seven assists in his first campaign with the club, before scoring six league goals again in 2018/19. Last season, the Wales international made it into double figures with ten goals and three assists in 37 games.

However, this term, Lawrence has only been able to make 23 appearances for Derby and he has not been able to find his best form in the final third. He has chipped in with three goals and one assist though. That is not really enough from a player with his talent and the Rams have to see more from him next term.

In sixth place is a player that Derby fans and the club themselves might have been hoping to see more from this season. However, Kamil Jozwiak is still a player that will have maintained his transfer valuation around near to what they paid for him last summer.

The Rams paid a fee believed to be around the £3 million to £4 million mark to bring in the winger from Lech Poznan last summer. He has taken some time to settle into life in English football managing to register just one goal and provide two assists in his 41 league appearances.

However, despite his lack of return in terms of goals and assists, there have been some flashes of the quality that he does possess. The Rams will hope to get more out of him next season now that he has had a year to adapt to life in English football. His valuation will likely still be around the same sort of level that Derby paid for him.

In at fifth place on this list is a player that some may feel should be slightly lower down than he is. However, Max Bird remains a player with a lot of potential and therefore will have a high enough valuation in terms of the transfer market.

Bird is one of a group of talented young players Derby have managed to bring through in the last two seasons, and the 20-year-old was an excellent performer for them in his 22 appearances in the Championship last term.

This season, the midfielder’s form has not been as consistent and there have been certain games in which he has struggled, but he has still made some important contributions in his 33 league appearances.

It had been reported that at one stage Derby had slapped a £5 million price tag in Bird amid interest from sides like Chelsea. Whilst interest in him might have cooled more recently, the 20-year-old’s potential means that if he goes on another positive run of form there will soon be plenty of sides being credited with a possible move for him.

Just ahead of Bird here in fourth place is another one of Derby’s talented younger players in the shape of defender Lee Buchanan. He has emerged on the radar of a number of clubs following an impressive breakthrough campaign in which he has showcased his potential.

Football League World have previously revealed that West Ham are one of the teams that are taking an interest in the defender heading into the summer transfer window. While there have also been reports suggesting that Arsenal could also be keen to add him to their squad with the Gunners searching for defensive reinforcements.

Buchanan is still only 20-years-old and his valuation should only increase in the coming years. However, he has only got one year left on his current deal with the Rams so that is going to limit the amount of money they might be able to get from him if they cash in this summer.

In at third place in this list is attacking midfielder Louie Sibley, whose valuation in the transfer market might be slightly higher than Buchanan due to him still being under contract at Pride Park until the summer of 2024.

Sibley is a player that has an awful lot of potential and he managed to demonstrate that during the back end of last season, with him ending that season with five goals and two assists in just 11 Championship appearances. However, for whatever reason, he has not been able to replicate such electric form in a struggling side this term and has often been left on the bench.

The 19-year-old though is a player with lots of ability and someone who should be able to get better and better as he matures as a player. Football League World believes that West Ham are potentially interested in making a move for him during the summer transfer window and that Derby might be prepared to sell given their financial situation at the moment.

In second place on this list is arguably the most valuable one of the group of young talents that Derby have within their current squad at the moment. Jason Knight is a player that they are going to struggle to keep hold of over the next few years.

Knight has already displayed his quality and also his potential since bursting into Derby’s team last season and managing to chip in with six goals in his 31 Championship appearances. This term, the 20-year-old has perhaps not had as much of an impact as some would have been hoping. However, he has still shown plenty of signs of his quality.

The midfielder has already reportedly emerged on the radars of the likes of Crystal Palace, Burnley and West Ham and there could yet be more teams that show an interest in the next few weeks. Derby would be sure to receive a sizeable transfer fee for him were to cash in on him.

In our view, Derby’s most valuable player at the moment in their current squad is Krystian Bielik. He is also arguably the Rams’ most important player which has perhaps been shown by the results they have had during his absence through injury in the end-of-season run-in.

Bielik was signed by Derby from Arsenal on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019 for a fee that reportedly could rise up to £10 million. The 23-year-old has shown a lot of quality when he has been able to stay fit for the Rams in the last two campaigns.

Derby need to keep Bielik fully fit for a prolonged period of time to see the very best from him. However, despite his injuries, he should still hold a high valuation in the transfer market. That may well change by either increasing if he can stay fit and perform well next season, or decrease if injuries continue to be an issue for him.