It’s two days till Derby County kick off their Championship campaign with a trip to Blackburn Rovers but they’re still without a first-choice goalkeeper.
Derby made the shock decision to release Joe Wildsmith from his contract at the end of last season, with the 28-year-old since confirming a move to West Brom.
The Rams have since been in the market for a number one and recently, agreed to a £1.4 million transfer with Swedish side Djurgardens for goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
Whilst he has completed his medical and a deal has been agreed, Derby have to wait for him to sign a contract as he’s currently involved in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Djurgardens director Bosse Andersson said he wasn’t prepared to let him leave until they found a replacement, and that has now happened.
The Swedish side wanted to find a successor for Zetterstrom before allowing him to join Derby and Saudi Arabian side Al-Fateh have now confirmed that Jacob Rinne has completed a transfer to Djurgardens.
As per their official X account, a thank you message was sent to the Swedish shot-stopper, who appeared 31 times in the Saudi Pro League last season.
“Thank you, Jacob, for your contributions to Al Fateh. We wish you success in your next destination,” the post read.
With Djurgardens soon to announce Rinne as their new goalkeeper, that surely has boosted Derby’s chances of signing Zetterstrom.
Although he’s currently playing in the Europa Conference League qualifiers, the fact they’ve signed a capable replacement for the 26-year-old means the Rams may not have to wait much longer for the club to announce him.
Derby are in a precarious situation with their goalkeepers heading into the Championship.
The only senior shot-stopper on their books is Josh Vickers, who spent most of their League One campaign playing as an understudy to Wildsmith.
Although Warne trusts Vickers and sees him as a capable second choice, the signing of Zetterstrom – providing it goes through – will be a game-changer for the Rams.
Derby will expect to concede a lot of shots in the Championship, certainly a lot more than they faced last season.
It means that Zetterstrom will be frequently called into action and during his time at Djurgardens, he’s proven he can more than hold his own.
Standing at 6 foot 5, the Swedish international has kept seven clean sheets in 17 appearances in his club’s current campaign.
He’s also only conceded three of his goals outside the box, as per Sofascore, with the talented gloveman showcasing his ability to save shots from range.
Supporters will be excited to see Zetterstrom between the posts for Derby, who could turn out to be one of their biggest signings of the summer.
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