Phillip Cocu has discussed the prospect of signing Chelsea trio Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori & Ethan Ampadu on loan.
The Dutchman was unveiled as the replacement for Frank Lampard after his move to take on the role of Chelsea head coach.
A huge part of Lampard's side last term was the impact of loan stars such as Tomori and Mount, and while Cocu admitted he'd be interested in bringing the pair back to Derby, he admits a move would be unlikely.
He said: "It will be difficult I think. I don’t say impossible."
Asked if a move for Ethan Ampadu is a possibility, Cocu added: "There are a lot of possibilities still, but I don’t want to name any names yet.
"For our own players – they know our team is not 100% - we’re trying to get some replacements in. That’s logical with the players that have left, with the budget and possibilities we have."
If signing the Chelsea trio is not a possibility, it doesn't rule out the signing of another member of the Blues squad.
Thanks to Frank Lampard's time with the Rams, the two clubs have an excellent working relationship and combined with Phillip Cocu's unrivalled contacts with many of Europe's biggest names, he says it makes sense to use his connections to the benefit of his new club.
He said: "You always use your contacts in the world of football.
"If we feel we need a player for this squad we try to convince the other party it would be a good step for a loan player to come to our team for his development and to create value for next season."
Asked if he has a lot of contacts, Cocu said: "Yes, yes. But also Derby has really good relationships with a lot of good teams.
"We are working hard, but the market is hard. Some clubs have to take a decision about what they are going to do with them (players).
"Many players are they available or not because the Premier League clubs don’t have their teams fixed yet, but there will be a lot more movement in the next two weeks, I am sure."
