Derby told to take £0 gamble on striker who could replicate Foxes masterstroke

Kevin Phillips says a move for Bamba Dieng might be a gamble worth taking for Derby County after pointing to the success of Riyad Mahrez at Leicester City.

Derby are one of several clubs to have been linked with the forward who is currently away on international duty with Senegal at the World Cup.

It is understood that Derby are in the market for a striker this summer as they look to cope with the loss of Patrick Agyemang who is out until Christmas with an Achilles injury.

Dieng is currently available on a free transfer after leaving Lorient on the back of an excellent season which ended with him scoring 15 goals in all competitions.

He is now one of the most coveted transfers available for nothing this summer and Phillips say such moves can be worth it after playing alongside Mahrez at Leicester who was eventually sold for £60m after joining from Le Havre.

Former Derby coach Phillips told BestBettingSites: "I’ve played with a few players from the French league, and there is a success story because Riyad Mahrez signed on the same day that I signed for Leicester City, so he didn’t turn out too bad, did he?

"I think he was in Le Havre, the French second division. Steve Walsh, who scouted him, took a gamble, he’s seen something in him and turned out to be one of the best players in the Premier League that we’ve had.

"So, yeah, I’ve experienced it firsthand.

"And from Derby’s point of view with Dieng, it can be a gamble; sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn’t.

"You’d like to think it will, because nowadays scouts do their homework, they’ve got so much equipment to do their analysing that they would have left no stone unturned. But certainly, yeah, Riyad Mahrez was one that stands out for me."

Derby have already completed the signing of Bobby Clark who signed a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee from RB Salzburg on Monday.

He became their first signing of the summer in what represents a significant capture after his success at Derby on loan last term which ended with him becoming the club's young player of the season.

While he was arriving, centre-back Danny Batth is set to leave Derby after failing to agree terms on a new contract. Derby are now set to be in the market for a replacement.

The transfer window is now open, the signings are being linked and players could be heading for the exit door at Pride Park as it promises to be a pre-season of change at the club.

Every day, the DerbyshireLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Rams content.

Our dedicated reporter Leigh Curtis - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows the Rams home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.

WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from DerbyshireLive's Rams team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.

App: If you prefer reading our Rams stories on your phone, consider downloading the DerbyshireLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Derby County as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.

Social Media: You can also get all the latest updates by following us on social media here Facebook and X.