Adams exit makes room for new faces at Pride Park

With Rams midfielder Ebou Adams looking like he's bound for fellow Championship side Portsmouth, it's a move that would see Derby County largely recoup some of the money they paid to sign the 30-year-old from Cardiff City permanently a year and a half ago.

His impact has been sensational in a Derby shirt. Without him they wouldn't have been promoted from League One and there's a case to say they wouldn't have survived in the Championship last season either.

As we've reported for much of this window, following on from Dion Sanderson arriving permanently and Danish midfielder Oscar Fraulo, Derby County would have to sell and get players off the wage bill in order to bring in new faces to further strength John Eustace's first team.

Adams has struggled at times this season in a Rams shirt but it always felt he was a player that could attract interest from elsewhere and he's done just that.

This fee and his wages off the books will enable a bit more wriggle room for incomings at Pride Park and following Curtis Nelson's departure, another player from that League One team that has moved on.

The squad will evolve over this month and the summer and it's my understanding that there could be more departures between now and deadline day.