Derby County's clear ambition is to make the top six this season, even if that's all they do and don't get any further. It's proven more difficult than first thought, despite their rather poor start to the campaign.

Steve McClaren had the opportunity to strengthen his team ahead of the final few months of the year and I think he has done that - David Nugent arriving from Middlesbrough was a great capture along with midfielder De Sart also joining the Rams on a loan deal.

Derby, sitting in sixth at the time of writing, shipped out a number of first-team members during January. Andreas Weimann surprisingly moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan and goalkeeper Lee Grant completed a permanent transfer to Premier League outfit Stoke City.

It's fair to say the club probably did all the transfer business they wanted to do during the window, but did they actually? In my opinion, several players should have departed Pride Park last month and I find it odd how they didn't sell them.

Here are TWO players Derby County should have sold in January...

Jason Shackell

At 33-years-old, Jason Shackell will be looking towards the end of his career now and that means he'll also want to be getting plenty of game time before he eventually decides to hang up his boots.

The defender has had two spells at Derby County, most recently returning to Pride Park in the summer of 2015 from Burnley.

Shackell may have appeared a couple of times but for the majority of the season he has been frozen out of squad, being restricted to just ten appearances for the Rams this term.

The former Norwich City, Wolves and Barnsley man has fallen down the pecking order at Derby and it's clear Steve McClaren doesn't look to have Jason Shackell in his plans - it was so obvious that he needed to be sold in January.

Matej Vydra

Matej Vydra was brought into Derby by McClaren's predecessor Nigel Pearson from Premier League side Watford for a fee believed to be near £8 million.

The 24-year-old was clearly meant to be first-choice striker, or switching over with Darren Bent from game to game, especially if you spend that sort of money which is still quite a lot for the Championship.

In reality, however, he has netted just two goals for County this season and that has forced the club to bring in forward David Nugent from Middlesbrough - someone a little more experienced and knows where the goal is.

I think with the pedigree of Nugent and Bent also in the team, Vydra will struggle to get the form back which saw him earn a permanent move to Watford in 2015. Derby County could have recouped some of the money they paid for him, and I'm surprised he wasn't sold in January.