Derby County looks set to offer goalkeeper Rohan Luthra a permanent contract after spending the last few weeks on trial at Pride Park.
The 22-year-old found himself without a club at the end of last season following his release from Cardiff City. Having begun his career at Crystal Palace, he made the switch to the Bluebirds’ academy setup in 2021. He made just one appearance there, coming on as a late substitute following Jak Alnwick’s dismissal against Preston North End last year. Luthra’s first taste of regular senior football came last season with a short-term loan to non-league Slough Town. He featured regularly for the Rebels, helping them reach the FA Cup first round, where they took Grimsby Town to a replay.
Cardiff manager Erol Bulut decided not to offer the youngster fresh terms in May, leading Luthra to earn a trial at Derby, where he has featured during pre-season. According to Derbyshire Live, the shot-stopper has been involved in the Rams’ training camp in Spain and has gained minutes in friendlies against Stockport County and Chesterfield.
Speaking to the publication, manager Paul Warne confirmed that Luthra is likely to earn a permanent deal as the third-choice goalkeeper:
“He’s trained with us and he’s a great kid. He’s been brilliant in training, and he will come in as the third choice. He’s just a young man, and I think we will keep him. He’s been a great addition.”
Derby also appears to be on the hunt for a new number one following Joe Wildsmith’s move to West Bromwich Albion earlier this month:
“I would like a keeper to join,” Warne continued. “We will endeavour to get a number one to compete with Josh (Vickers), who I thought was one of our standouts last night (Wednesday vs Chesterfield).
“We seem to be linked with everyone, and the fact we have been linked with Jacob (Widell Zetterstrom) doesn’t surprise me. We are down the line with a couple of goalkeepers, and hopefully, one will be in the building soon.”
Writer’s View
Paul Warne continues to add depth to his squad as he prepares for life in the Championship. Derby is expected to be in a fight for survival this season, and the manager knows he will need several options ahead of a long, grueling campaign.
Luthra was well-liked at Cardiff and looks to have done enough during training to earn a full-time contract. While he made a mistake in the heavy defeat against Chesterfield this week, he shouldn’t be defined by that. These kinds of things happen, especially when regular game time has been scarce in his young career. This could be a good move for the youngster.