Derby County have agreed on a fee with Swedish international goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, according to reports from Sweden.

Expressen has reported that Djurgårdens and the Rams have reached a deal worth over £1.4 million, including add-ons. The 26-year-old is set to join Derby County at Pride Park soon.

The need for a new goalkeeper at Derby became urgent after Joe Wildsmith’s departure. The situation was exacerbated by a recent 4-0 pre-season defeat to Chesterfield, during which trialist keeper Rohan Luthra, a former Cardiff City player, made a significant error, heightening the concerns among the fanbase.

The Rams have been searching for a goalkeeper since releasing Joe Wildsmith. One obstacle remains: Zetterstrom is set to play for Djurgårdens IF in Europa League qualifying games against Progrès Niederkorn of Luxembourg, with the second leg scheduled for August 1. This means any deal would be completed just a week before the Championship season begins.

Nevertheless, news of a fee being agreed with Djurgårdens should ease concerns at Pride Park, and securing Zetterstrom appears to be a significant achievement for Paul Warne’s side.

Derby County fans are thrilled about the signing of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

FLW’s Derby County fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, believes that Jacob Widell Zetterstrom would be worth the wait after Derby’s extensive search for a new goalkeeper. Speaking to Football League World, Shaun expressed his excitement about the potential signing:

“It’s definitely worth the gamble if we can get Zetterstrom in. I know he’s got these Europa League qualifying games to play, but there must be something behind the scenes where Warne’s been told that he’s signing, so I think if he’s happy to wait a few weeks, then he’s doing that based on the fact he thinks he’s through the door.

He would be an unbelievable signing for us. He’s 6ft 6in, played in Europe, played for his country, and is a real beast of a player who will give us presence at the back. I know it was only a friendly, but after last night (against Chesterfield), we could really do with someone to shore us up back there. To me, he’s a marquee signing and someone who would really enhance the team and someone I’m looking forward to seeing play.

He’s definitely worth the wait and, worst case scenario, we’ve got Vickers, who’s not a bad goalkeeper, and if we had to stick with him, we’d just need someone as his back-up, so it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t come in. But he looks an unbelievable signing and one that’s definitely worth waiting for.”

Woodward’s comments reflect the optimism and anticipation among Derby County fans regarding Zetterstrom’s potential arrival.

Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is a significant acquisition for Derby County.

As it stands, Derby County have just one first-team goalkeeper, Josh Vickers, which is far from ideal preparation after their promotion to the Championship. According to Sky Sports, former Cardiff City player Rohan Luthra is set to join after a trial. However, Luthra spent last season on loan at Slough Town, suggesting he might not yet be ready for Championship-level involvement.

This underscores the importance of signing Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. Although Derby may have to wait until the start of August to secure his signature due to his commitments with Djurgårdens IF in the Europa League qualifiers, Zetterstrom appears to be a quality player who will be worth the wait.

The 26-year-old Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has spent his entire career at Djurgårdens IF, making 111 appearances, conceding 110 goals, and keeping 46 clean sheets—an impressive record.

Paul Warne will need to wait a bit longer before Zetterstrom is officially a Derby player due to his commitments with Djurgårdens in the Europa League qualifiers. However, the agreement of a transfer fee is promising news, and it looks like the Rams will finally secure their man in the coming weeks.