Duane Holmes is reportedly on the radar of Huddersfield Town this Transfer Window and it looks like it could be the best move for him going forward.
Holmes has not played in the Rams last five matches across all competitions, last appearing in a 2-0 win over Swansea City on December 16th. The American midfielder was a major contributor for the Rams under both Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu, but has struggled to replicate those performances under new manager Wayne Rooney.
Rooney did not have Holmes in his 20-man squad for Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Rotherham United and explained the reasoning for that.
“It was for footballing reasons why he has not been in the squad the last two games,” Rooney said about Holmes post match.
“He knows he needs to train better, he needs to perform better in training and give me an option to see if I use him or not. So that is on him to do that.”
Holmes has been linked with a transfer to former club Huddersfield Town over the past week, a move which could come to fruition this month. The 24-year-old is in the final five months of his contract at Pride Park and Derby County could recoup funds if they transfer Holmes this January, rather than let him walk as a free agent this summer.
Since moving to Derby County in the Summer of 2018, Holmes has contributed six goals and six assists in 83 combined appearances, but only has one goal in 14 matches during this campaign. The U.S. Men’s National Team playmaker for now remains a part of the first team at Derby County, but could be in a better situation in the next few weeks if a move to Huddersfield generates.
Derby County sits second-from-bottom in the EFL Championship table and next hosts AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday.