Derby County are closing in on a deal to sign Jacob Widell Zetterstrom from Swedish side Djurgardens, putting an end to the hunt for a new goalkeeper.
The Rams have been searching for a new number one since the exit of Joe Wildsmith, who left the club as a free agent this summer.
Josh Vickers has featured for Paul Warne, but the transfer window has led to plenty of links surrounding a new goalkeeping partner.
Marek Rodak has been linked with a move to Derby, while Daniel Iversen has also been on the radar at Pride Park.
However, it appears as though a move on the continent is set to go ahead instead as reports claim that Derby have agreed a deal with Swedish side Djurgardens to sign their goalkeeper Zetterstrom.
The club’s sporting director has even claimed that he expects Zetterstrom to play for Derby, all but confirming a transfer.
There is a slight delay though as the 26-year-old is relied upon for his team’s Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Zetterstrom performance in Djurgardens vs FC Progres
Zetterstrom started between the sticks as Djurgardens took on Luxembourg outfit FC Progres in the first leg of the second qualifying rounds of the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.
Gustav Wikheim opened the scoring for the Swedish side before a brace from Deniz Hummet sealed a 3-0 win heading into the away leg.
It was a dominant performance, but many Derby fans will be intrigued as to how their potential new goalkeeper performed.
So with that said, here’s a look at three things spotted from the tie.
1. Frame
Zetterstrom was rarely called into action in the match as his side dominated the direction of play, but he was relied upon once.
An effort from outside the box appeared to be moving towards the top-right corner of the net, however, the goalkeeper pulled out an acrobatic save to keep a clean sheet.
It was the type of effort that was possible thanks to his large frame, which comes in at approximately six feet and six inches tall.
With that type of height and frame, it can allow him to reach saves that wouldn’t otherwise be possible and in this instance, it kept out an astonishing effort.
2. Distribution
Another key point is the choice of distribution from Zetterstrom as he often opted to kick the ball long on several occasions.
These longer kicks were often accurate at finding his teammates but weren’t so pinpoint that it was guaranteed to give them the best chance to win a flick-on.
Some occasions could’ve seen him pass the ball shorter to recirculate possession and build another attack.
However, that isn’t to say that he can’t do that as there were several occasions where he did play short passes or rolled the ball to his defenders.
Derby will need the ability to do both this coming season, with Warne keen to mix up his strategy and keep the opposition guessing.
3. Personality
While teams are often signing players on their ability on the pitch, it’s also important to note that they are simply people too.
That’s why having the right personalities in the dressing room and on the pitch is an important aspect of earning results.
Zetterstrom certainly exudes plenty of personality while on the pitch, not least with his rushing celebration from his own goal all the way to the other end of the pitch when Djurgardens scored a third goal.
It’s the type of character that every dressing room would want, not least Warne who is keen on being a manager of people as much as players.
