[themaclad]

Derby County have re-signed forward Andreas Weimann and agreed one-year deals with centre-back Danny Batth and experienced goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell.

Austria international Weimann, 33, has also agreed a 12-month contract to return to the club he spent three years with between 2015 and 2018, when he scored nine goals in 88 appearances.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City, Sunderland and Norwich City defender Batth, 34, spent a decade at Molineux and was part of the side that won the League One title in 2013-14 to regain their place in the Championship following relegation the previous season.

He also had loans with Colchester United, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough before a permanent switch to the Potters in January 2019.

Three years later, he helped the Black Cats win promotion to the second tier with victory in the League One play-off final in May 2022.

Batth spent the 2023-24 season with Norwich before joining Blackburn ahead of last season.

The move to the East Midlands reunites both Batth and Weimann with Rams boss John Eustace, who they played under at Ewood Park before he left to take over at Derby in February.

O'Donnell, 35, has played more than 400 senior games for 14 different clubs in his career and moves to Pride Park on a free transfer after leaving Blackpool.

He will provide back-up for Rams keepers Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Josh Vickers.

Derby's triple signing takes the club's number of summer recruits so far to four following the arrival of Luton Town striker Carlton Morris.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old midfielder Liam Thompson has also signed a new two-year deal with Derby.

He featured 31 times last season and earned the club's Sammy Crooks Young Player of the Season award for the part he played in helping the Rams stay in the division.

[themaclad]

Derby County have signed United States striker Patrick Agyemang from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC for a fee that could rise to £7.3m.

The 24-year-old, whose transfer fee before add-ons is believed to be about £5.8m, moves to Pride Park on a four-year contract just over a week after he started for the USA in their Gold Cup final defeat by Mexico.

However, the Rams said in a statement confirming his arrival that Agyemang will have "routine" surgery on a long-standing hernia problem, meaning he is "likely to miss the opening games" of the Championship season.

Agyemang scored 17 goals in 59 MLS regular-season appearances for Charlotte after they recruited him from the University of Rhode Island as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Within two years, he was called up by USA boss Mauricio Pochettino and since scoring on his international debut in January, Agyemang has netted a further four goals in 11 appearances.

Agyemang is the second striker that Derby have brought in for a significant fee this summer, although what it cost to add Luton forward Carlton Morris was not disclosed.

But with the American coming with a price tag that could rise beyond £7m with add-ons, he becomes the most expensive signing the East Midlands club has made since David Clowes took ownership of the club when it was in administration in 2022.

Although the price paid is officially undisclosed by Derby, Charlotte say, external they have received a club-record "multi-million-dollar" fee for Agyemang and retain a sell-on percentage.

"Patrick's rise over the past 18 months put him on the radar of many clubs across Europe, and ultimately Derby County's offer convinced the club and player to reach an agreement," said Charlotte general manager Zoran Krneta.

"To get a deal done, it needs to be in the best interest of the club first and foremost, but also of the player and in this case, it achieves both.

"He becomes the first player in our club's history to come through our player pathway and be sold in a multi-million-dollar transfer."

[themaclad]

Derby County have re-signed Crystal Palace midfielder David Ozoh on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old had an injury-hit loan stay with the Rams last term, managing just 10 Championship appearances.

Despite those setbacks, Derby said Ozoh "certainly caught the eye with some impressive performances".

"I'm excited to be back because it felt like I had unfinished business," Ozoh told the club website., external

The former England Under-18 international, who was born in the Spanish city of Valencia, has played for Palace in pre-season games this summer but last featured competitively for the Eagles in the Premier League in April 2024.

It was during the 2022-23 season that he became the youngest Palace player to feature in a Premier League game, coming off the bench in a goalless draw with Newcastle at the age of 17 years, eight months and 15 days.

[themaclad]

Derby County have secured the double loan captures of Bobby Clark and Dion Sanderson from RB Salzburg and Birmingham City, respectively.

The pair have signed for the Rams on season-long loan deals and are available to make their league debuts in the opening-day Championship fixture away to Stoke City on Saturday.

Clark, 20, moved to RB Salzburg from Liverpool last year on a permanent basis to reunite with former Reds assistant boss Pep Lijnders, who had taken over as head coach.

The attacking midfielder made 14 appearances during his time at Anfield, making his professional debut against Derby.

He signed a five-year contract at Salzburg in a move worth approximately £10m but has now been recruited by the East Midlands club after playing in a friendly match against them last month.

"I think he [Derby boss John Eustace] knows that I'm at a point where I want to prove people wrong, and I'm hungry to play football again, especially being back in the UK," Clark told the club website.

Meanwhile, Sanderson, 25, moves to Pride Park from Birmingham City after spending last season on loan at Derby boss John Eustace's former club, Blackburn.

The central defender made 12 league appearances at Ewood Park following his move in January and is set for his fourth spell under Eustace in his career so far.

At Birmingham, Sanderson was named captain by Eustace during the 2023-24 season.

"I think he's a quality person, a quality manager. The fans, anyone that's worked with him, players and staff, would say that," Sanderson told Derby's website.

"I really enjoy my work under him. I know what he wants from me, and I'm just glad to be here."