Paul Warne has already made 'no brainer' transfer for Derby County-linked favourite
Derby County supporters should not be surprised to see Dan Barlaser’s name linked with a move to Pride Park.
The Rams are keen on the midfielder and on adding a second Middlesbrough player to their squad having recently added centre back Matt Clarke.
While Clarke will be familiar to Derby fans, so too Barlaser is well known to boss Paul Warne, with the 51-year-old having signed him on loan and permanently during his time in charge at Rotherham.
READ MORE: Derby County transfer 'edging closer' with deal expected before deadline day
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Barlaser first signed for the Millers on loan from Newcastle in 2019 and he was a key part of the team that won promotion to the Championship. At that stage he was still hoping to make his mark at his parent club.
However, by October the following year that long-held dream had died and Steve Bruce sold the Gateshead-born player to Rotherham. Warne was delighted and in 2020 told the BBC.
“I am really pleased. It wasn’t a hard decision. When he left we always wanted to get him back. It was always our intention. I thought he had a really good influential season on our team last year so it was a no-brainer.
“It was bit bittersweet, because I really wanted him to succeed at Newcastle – for him. He has been a the club since nine and it was a dream of his and his family to play in the first team at Newcastle regularly.
“I politely kept my distance, I was always texting him to say ‘Good luck tonight’ but never to say ‘When you are going to come back?’ It’s great to have him him back but I am tinged with a little bit of sadness for him because I know what his dream was. It’s our job as coaches to try and get him to the Premier League in another way.”
Two-and-a-half solid years at the New York Stadium Barlaser was sold to Boro with a reputation as one of the better controlling midfielders in the Championship. How Derby could do with that now.
