Done Deals: The 9 most intriguing signings in the EFL this week
This week’s bulletin covers arrivals at West Brom, Middlesbrough, Lincoln, Blackburn, Millwall, MK Dons, Salford and Rotherham.
Welcome to Done Deals. The last seven days have furnished our spreadsheet with some big fees, big names and some pretty stand-up-and-take-note transfers (looking at you, Salford… again).
Before we jump in, there’s some big news coming out of NTT20 HQ: light drumroll, please.
From tomorrow, we’re counting down to the first game of the 26/27 season with 14 days of unadulterated EFL extravaganza. More on that from Ali on Saturday morning.
Championship
1. Sebastian Berhalter (CM) - [Vancouver Whitecaps - Middlesbrough] - Undisc.
George Elek
How do you go about replacing Hayden Hackney? By signing Aidan Morris’ best friend, obviously.
They have been close since they were 15, with Morris reportedly playing a big part in persuading Berhalter to swap Vancouver for Teesside. Unlike his mate, Berhalter was selected by Mauricio Pochettino for the USA squad in the World Cup, scoring and assisting in their dead rubber 3-2 defeat against Turkey.
So how does he stack up against Hackney, now at Everton? Pretty well and, at a rumoured £1.1m, a snip of the price.
Berhalter is good on the ball, both in terms of retention and creativity. We know that Hellberg encourages his players to take risks in possession, passing into space rather than to the feet of the recipient, and this suits him well, both in terms of being a very competent passer but also him being comfortable picking up the ball in tight spaces. He’s also got excellent set-piece delivery.
Hackney’s out-of-possession work improved lots over the last couple of seasons, and Berhalter’s tireless work-rate and doggedness will ensure that nothing is lost in that respect. They’ll likely be the most aggressive team without the ball in the league, and with Morris and Berhalter playing together in midfield they have a pair who should be able to deliver on Hellball’s high demands.
Sell high and buy low is the measure of a smart team, and in these dealings I find it hard to see how Middlesbrough aren’t the winners.
2. Nolan Galves (RB/RWB) - [Rodez - West Brom] - Undisc.
Craig Bradley
Albion fans held a flame for a Danny Imray return this summer after his impressive loan last season. On Wednesday, Wrexham announced the signing of the former Crystal Palace man for a rumoured fee of £5m. The Baggies needn’t dwell on the comeback that never happened, for they’ve identified a player of similar profile, who has a similar level (albeit without the same EFL experience) and also has potential to progress higher.
And hey. To top it all, the rumoured fee for Rodez’s Nolan Galves is €1m (around £850m). Without slighting Imray and Wrexham, this deal looks like a bit of value.
