Quartet are set to sign for the Rams next week

[Day]

DERBY County are likely to unveil four new signings next week.

The Rams are close to completing deals for Crewe Alexandra pair John Brayford and James Bailey as well as Polish Under-21 international Tomasz Cywka.

Danny Buijs, the captain of Dutch club ADO Den Haag, is another target the Rams are set to land. Derby have wasted no time is moving to add new players to their squad as they build for next season.

Left-back Gareth Roberts has already agreed to join the club on July 1 when his contract with Doncaster Rovers has expired and central defender Russell Anderson put pen to paper on a two-year deal last month.

Nigel Clough is pleased with the progress being made in the transfer market.

"We are getting encouraging signs on three or four players. We certainly hope in the next week or two that we can get a few in," said the Rams manager.

Clough wanted to sign Brayford last summer and now seems to have got his man. Brayford played for Clough at Burton Albion before he joined Crewe in September 2008 for a fee of £130,000.

The 22-year-old right-back was Crewe's player of the year last season and was named in the League Two team of the year this season. He has made 81 League appearances for the Railwaymen and can also play centre-back.

Bailey came through the youth system at Crewe and is a midfielder who gets on the ball and passes it.

He is seen as a long-term replacement for 35-year-old Robbie Savage who was virtually ever-present in Derby's midfield this season.

Bailey, 21, played 23 games for Crewe this season and the Rams have been keeping a watchful eye on his progress.

It is believed the joint deal for Brayford and Bailey, which is expected to be tied up early next week, could be worth around £800,000.

Cywka impressed in his four starts for Derby during a loan spell from Wigan Athletic.

The 21-year-old forward showed he has a clever-football brain and vision, and has been described by Clough as a "Kris Commons-type player".

Cywka's contract at Wigan expires this summer.

"We are getting close, I think it will go into next week now but we are close to agreeing a deal with Tomasz," said Clough.

Buijs helped Den Haag avoid relegation from the Eredivisie, the top division in Holland.

The 27-year-old is a rigth-back or midfielder who started his career at Feyenoord, where he worked with Rams coach Johnny Metgod.

Buijs has a year to run on his contract and is likely to cost Derby an undisclosed fee.

"With the three or four players plus Gareth Roberts and Russell Anderson, the squad is starting to take shape," said Clough, who is also weighing up his striking options.

Derby are one of a number of clubs monitoring Gary Hooper's situation at Ssausagehorpe United.

Sheffield United's Billy Sharp, who scored goals for Doncaster this season, is another name on a long list of possible targets.

But Derby already have five strikers on their books with the imminent arrival of Cywka set to make it six.

It is likely one or two would have to move before another new forward comes in.

Luke Varney is one of the five frontmen.

He spent much of this season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and does not appear to figure in Clough's plans.

Varney has two years left on his contract.

http://www.therams.co.uk/news/Quartet-set-sign-Rams/article-2159634-detail/article.html

[trigger]

good times ahead?

lets hope so!

as the saying goes---

slowly slowly catch a monkey

[Jess]

It is looking good I feel! If we can hooper or sharp and tinge then I thunk we are well on the way to a good season next season! (everythin crossed when I say that lol)

[derbydan]

no mention of michael tonge yet then be brilliant if we can get him back too

[vicky-27]

So far so good, really hope we get Hooper - oooh who is Tinge Jess ? is it a relative of Tonge

[GboroRam]

Tinge Tonge (iddle I po)

[vicky-27]

:D new double act to replace dick and dom or ant and dec.

We could be in a position where in the next week or ten days we have three or four players in.

"That isn't say we will have, but we could.

"A couple of those involve fees and a couple are free transfers, so we will have to see how it pans out."

As Clough told dcfc.co.uk last week, he still wants to conclude his transfer activity as soon as possible.

"We want to do our deals as quickly as possible so we're not hanging on so much into July" he explained.

"If possible we want to have everyone together for the start of pre-season.

"If we can do that, then we can see what happens with some of our players who are still under contract.

"If something happens with one of them going out then perhaps we could home in on another target to add to what we have.

"We want to have a good balance within the squad; we want to get the squad right because it is a long, hard season."

Wonder if that's a hint that Hulse may go.