Paul Warne has firmly ruled out the possibility of signing a free-agent striker at Derby County mainly due to the constraints of the 25-man squad limit. Despite missing out on acquiring a number nine on deadline day, with only Marcus Harness and Nat Phillips joining from Ipswich and Liverpool, Derby still have the option of utilizing the free agent market for further signings, particularly in the forward position.

Nevertheless, the requirement to submit a fixed 25-man squad to the Football League poses a significant obstacle as any new signing would result in someone else being sidelined until January. Warne expressed his contentment with the current squad, emphasizing his reluctance to bring in a free agent unless he encounters an exceptional opportunity.

In his words, “Unless I am astonished by something, I don’t anticipate signing a free agent. You have to finalize your 25-man squad, which is unalterable. Making a new addition now would mean displacing an existing player from the squad until January.”

Warne highlighted the ethical dilemma of having to inform a player that they would not be involved in matchday proceedings due to squad restrictions, noting that such a situation contradicts with his principles. Referring to past considerations of utilizing the maximum six-loan allocation, he clarified that such a strategy risks leaving players unable to feature and does not align with his vision for the team’s development.