Derby County have announced the permanent signing of defender Dion Sanderson from Birmingham City, where he had been on a season-long loan since the summer. The centre-back joins Derby County for an undisclosed fee, and DerbyshireLive understands the fee is in the six-figure range. Sanderson confirmed that conversations about making the move permanent had taken place over the past few weeks and he was thankful it was completed. He added that while his familiarity with manager John Eustace was a factor, he would have wanted the transfer even if Eustace was not at the club. The deal also frees up a loan slot for Derby ahead of the January transfer window, a fact reported by Derbyshire Live.