Everton were active on deadline day for the winter 2025 market, but one player who agreed to a late loan transfer away from Goodison Park already has a point to prove.
The Toffees took it to the wire to try and strengthen the squad boss David Moyes can call on for the rest of the season. Everton sought to give the Scot new weapons with the Blues 16th in the table, after a three-game winning streak took them nine points clear of the drop zone.
Moyes will hope the deal that saw Everton sign Carlos Alcaraz on loan from Flamengo in the final hours of the winter 2025 transfer window now helps their push for survival. But he will also be hoping that one player who left Goodison Park comes back a more complete player.
Derby County sign Harrison Armstrong on loan from Everton for rest of 24/25 season
Yet soon after their club confirmed the deal, many Rams fans were not thrilled to see Derby County sign Harrison Armstrong on loan from Everton for the remainder of the season. The Pride Park faithful do not believe the 18-year-old is enough for their embattled club’s status.
Armstrong joins Derby on loan with the Rams in the Championship relegation zone with just 27 points from 30 games. Paul Warne’s side are two points from safety after seven wins plus six draws and even boast the second-tier’s 19th-best attack with 32 goals so far this season.
So, seeing Armstrong go to Derby has not delighted many Rams fans, who believe their club had to do more than sign the Everton academy product on loan. It marks the first loan move of the midfielder’s career and Armstrong has only played 182 first-team minutes at Everton.
One Derby fan noted on X while reacting to the news of the Rams signing Armstrong on loan from Everton: “Should slot in well in the U21s.” A raft of Derby fans are not holding out high hopes with another claiming: “Give him two weeks under Warne and he will be gassed out!”
Another Rams fan also posted on X: “I hope this loan goes well for the lad but this smacks of desperation. Warne has been banging on all window about getting in ‘Championship-ready players’. Can he attract Championship-ready players?”
Derby boss Warne’s request for signings who are ready for the Championship was not lost on a number of Rams fans after taking Armstrong on loan from Everton. One said: “What happened [to] we only want to bring in Championship-ready players? Absolute joke!”
Given Derby’s battle for survival, one Rams supporter also questioned if Armstrong is up for it. They said: “Hope the lad does well. But I feel like we need players who’ve been involved in a relegation scrap before, just feels a bit last minute and grab who we can kind of job.”
That Armstrong’s move to Derby is his first loan was also not lost on some fans. One noted: “Wish the lad all the best and hope he does well, but he’s a young lad who hasn’t been on loan before. Not experienced like we need. Not Championship-ready as we’ve been told we’re supposedly looking for. Good luck lad, but underwhelming from our point of view.”
Harrison Armstrong has a point to prove after joining Derby County on loan
Armstrong, then, has a point to prove to the Pride Park faithful before the Everton talent has laced his boots and put a Derby County kit on after his deadline day loan move. Yet while his arrival has not gone down swimmingly, Everton will hope Armstrong’s experience helps him.
Experiencing a relegation battle will test Armstrong’s character and see if he is ready to earn more regular first-team minutes upon returning to Merseyside. The Liverpool-born 18-year-old made his senior Everton debut at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last August.
Yet, after his first-team breakthrough, Armstrong has only amassed 182 minutes through six appearances – all of which were before Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as Everton’s manager in January. So, Armstrong will be relying on his youth-level exploits carrying him at Pride Park.
Armstrong has to date amassed five goals and one assist through 22 Under-18 appearances plus three goals and one assist through 13 U21 appearances at Everton. Five of those goals and two assists were this term, including an FA Youth Cup hat-trick over Nottingham Forest.
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