Patrick Agyemang sums up Derby County transfer in one word as instant blow confirmed

A new arrival to Pride Park has finally spoken out on his much-anticipated move, admitting he's "excited" about the challenge ahead.

Patrick Agyemang, a US international striker, signed a four-year contract at Derby County on Tuesday in a deal believed to be worth £5.8 million from Major League Soccer (MLS) side Charlotte FC— including a sell-on clause.

It comes just over a week after the 24-year-old started for the USA in their 2-1 Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico.

However, the Rams confirmed in a statement the player will undergo a "routine" surgery on a long-standing hernia problem which could rule him out of the opening games of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Agyemang has played a starring role for Charlotte since arriving as the 12th overall draft pick from the University of Rhode Island in 2023, scoring 17 goals in 59 MLS regular-season appearances.

His 10 goals and three assists helped them to the MLS Play Offs in 2024.

It would only take him two years to catch the eyes of USA boss - and former Spurs, Chelsea and Southampton manager - Mauricio Pochettino, and he went on to score on his international debut in January.

Now, despite being chased by the likes of Ipswich Town and Luton Town among others, the forward made the decision to swap the Queen City for the East Midlands, and broke his silence on the move to Derby County's media team.

"It's exciting, I have been hearing good things about the club and the fans as well," Agyemang said. "I always wanted to be a part of something special, to finally be here, it's amazing.

"I heard about [the move] once I was getting into the national team for the Gold Cup. In the moment, you're like: 'That's something I’m interested in!' however, you want to focus on what you're doing.

"As it starts to progress, you start to look more into it. I knew this was a project I'd love to be a part of. I just hoped for it to get across the line. Happily, it did.

"I always wanted to take that next step into being in a position to help myself better my career. Going into the Championship and being around such passionate fans and a good group of guys is something I'm excited for."

Since reports of Derby's interest in the player first emerged, supporters couldn't hide their excitement, and it's safe to say he's a fan-favourite already.

"It has been crazy because I never experienced it to that degree in such a small period before. When the news first broke, I got on my phone and saw a flood of Ram emojis.

"I was just laughing, looking through it. It shows how passionate they are because they're, like, really excited for me to come here."

Agyemang arrives as Derby County's fifth summer signing, joining the likes of Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O'Donnell and Carlton Morris through the doors at Pride Park.

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