Stephen Pearce has revealed how Ebou Adams’ January exit aided Derby County’s remarkable transfer window, which saw the club make five signings, including two on deadline day.

The midfielder, who had been a crucial cog at Pride Park for the previous two years, left the Rams during the transfer window to join rival Championship side Portsmouth. The Blues paid £500k for the 30-year-old, and he has already begun to repay that investment with goals against West Bromwich Albion and, most crucially, Southampton.

However, for his old club, that fee proved crucial, with Oscar Fraulo, Jaydon Banel, Derry Murkin, and Sammie Szmodics all joining DE24 during the month, while Dion Sanderson’s loan deal from Birmingham City was made permanent.

12 months after a terrible final day of the transfer window, fans have been showering accolades on the club’s leadership, and this fresh discovery will only add to that enthusiasm. Derby fans may have to thank Portsmouth, however.

Stephen Pearce explains how Portsmouth helped fund Derby County’s transfer window.

Following an extremely busy January, CEO Stephen Pearce spoke with local media about the club’s current situation both on and off the pitch. John Eustace has propelled the Rams into play-off contention, so it was critical that he was supported in the transfer market.

However, Pearce highlighted to BBC Radio Derby how the sale of Adams benefited the team. He went on: “In terms of the business that we did in January, all the outs that we achieved, and the wage savings and the transfer fee for Ebou [Adams], meant that we could do the business that we did in terms of the permanents and the loans.”We agreed with John Eustace and the board that the transfer money for Ebou would be used for a long-term purpose.We didn’t want to do something solely for the present. So the transfer fee and wages that we saved in January can be used for this season, but unless we could do anything long-term, we were going to save that money, and then we got the opportunity for Oscar and Derry Murkin. “Those transfer fees came in very handy.”

Derby County used a clever plan with the selling of Ebou Adams.

Portsmouth spent £500,000 for the midfielder, which has been extensively reported by numerous newspapers in recent weeks.

However, The Telegraph’s John Percy has now reported how Pompey would pay Derby, with the Rams receiving £375k up front and the remainder of the cost due in the summer.

This has allowed Eustace and his recruitment team to make swift movements for players like Murkin, while Portsmouth appears to have paid for Sanderson and Fraulo’s permanent transfers.

There is no doubting Derby’s past, and those who attended Pride Park will remember the atrocities of the 2021/22 campaign for a long time. However, David Clowes and Stephen Pearce are doing everything correctly as they continue to make the club one of the most financially solid in the EFL.