Coady to Charlton, Bristol City double up and Barrow double down – plus Matt Watts on Gillingham buying Ronan Hale
Every day from Tuesday to Saturday, NTT20.COM writes-up and rates every single signing in the Championship, League One, and League Two.
Contributors include: Ali Maxwell, George Elek, Sam Parry, Huw Davies, Riley Roberts, Matt Watts, Craig Bradley, Gab Sutton and Luke “LouOrns” McKenzie.
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Now, it’s the Championship’s turn to be the busiest division of the day – but we start with Matt Watts on a head-turning transfer (and fee) in League Two…
🟠 Ronan Hale (ST) - [Ross County - Gillingham] - Undisclosed (reported £250,000)
There’s a Halestorm coming to east Kent – and Gillingham fans hope it’ll soon be raining goals at Priestfield.
Northern Ireland international Ronan Hale arrives in Medway on a deal to 2028, with the option of a further year, for a transfer fee that is undisclosed but rumoured to be very chunky for League Two. The striker, 27, had attracted interest from several English clubs following Ross County’s relegation last year, in a campaign that brought Hale 12 league goals and 18 in all competitions. It was his first in Scotland, having been signed on the back of four goal-heavy seasons with Larne and Cliftonville in Northern Ireland’s top flight. He scored another dozen for the Staggies in league and cups this season, yet leaves with them struggling in the Scottish Championship.
Hale likes to shoot. In fact, only four Scottish Premiership players – two from Celtic and two from Rangers – had more shots per 90 than Hale last season. His showreel is a smorgasbord of all different types of finishes, mostly executed with his right foot. However, he can look uninterested when the ball isn’t near him (‘typical striker’, some may say) and he registered just a solitary assist in each of the last two campaigns, with a relatively low rate of expected assists in 2024/25.
In a Gills side whose top-scoring striker, Josh Andrews, has only three league goals, Hale can offer Gareth Ainsworth a profile he doesn’t currently have. He will, though, need the likes of Bradley Dack, Garath McCleary and some of Gillingham’s targetman types to lay on chances for him.
There’s more than 600 miles between Dingwall and Priestfield, but we’re about to find out how close the correlation is between goals in Northern Ireland and Scotland and goals in League Two.
🟠 Delano Burgzorg (LW/ST) - [Middlesbrough - Bristol City] - Loan (with option to buy)
A bit of a saga, this one. A move for Burgzorg to Bristol City earlier in the window looked all but done, before falling through; now the Dutchman finally heads south-west to join the Robins.
