Done Deals: the biggest yet! Luton go young, Swans go old, and MK & Salford go big – plus Gab Sutton and LouOrns on Leo Castledine to Boro and Ronnie Edwards to QPR
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.
Friday 13th is rarely a good thing, but when the 13th signing of this Friday was announced, we were giddy (and not just because it presented a punning opportunity). It’s been the busiest day of the window so far, making for a BUMPER BULLETIN boasting some real belters, especially in the Championship and League Two.
Of course, QPR then announced Ronnie Edwards at 9.15pm to take the day’s tally to 14 instead of 13. Ta, R’s. And then, at 10pm, Bristol City got in on the act as well.
Is Friday 15th a thing?
Now, over to Gab Sutton for his take on Boro snapping up Leo Castledine…
🟢 Leo Castledine (AM) - [Chelsea - Middlesbrough] - Undisclosed
Literally and metaphorically, Leo Castledine is a difficult player to pin down. His agility and trickery made it tough for League One defenders to keep track of him during his loan spell at Huddersfield this season… and he’s almost as elusive for us pundits.
Remarkably, Castledine was Huddersfield’s star player for the first half of 2025/26 despite being deployed in a number of different positions. The 20-year-old played in central midfield, as a #10 and on either flank, which is unusually versatile for a club’s top scorer, with 10 goals.
Wherever he operates, he has two major instincts: to carry the ball forward (averaging 1.97 progressive carries per 90, putting him in the top 10 percentile in League One) and to have a shot at goal, averaging 3.19 efforts per 90. So, while he’ll bring a touch of the aesthetics to the Riverside as he graces the Championship for the first time in his career, it’s all in the name of packing a punch.
Castledine can do that from a variety of possible positions in the way Middlesbrough set up, with a #10 and two inside forwards. For the bargain that is a reported £2m fee, on a 4.5-year contract, he should deliver them some major ROI.
Leo’s ready to take centre-stage – catch him if you can…
🟠 George Earthy (CM/AM) - [West Ham - Bristol City] - Loan
George Earthy won Bristol City’s Young Player of the Year award last season, while on loan from West Ham. He’s back to help City try to repeat last year’s top-six finish.
The 21-year-old has been Proper West Ham since he was in primary school, going on to win the FA Youth Cup in 2023 and represent England at youth levels up to Under-21. He's an attacking midfielder, yet last season’s performances suggested that he’s most comfortable in a supporting role, rather than as a main character. Exceptionally hard-working off the ball, he knits things together in possession rather than being high-volume with shots or speculative passes. He wasn’t prolific with goals nor assists in his last loan spell (3G 1A), but 13 PL2 goals at 0.42 per 90 suggests more goals could flow as he develops.
This is a solid addition to a squad that already has Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine in similar positions, offering different skillsets. Both have played a huge number of minutes this season, and now there is another viable option in that area of the pitch. There should be minutes to go around, which will benefit the team as a whole as well as all three players.
Struberball is likely to suit Earthy’s impressive out-of-possession chops, and if he has come on in terms of his output in the final third, then Bristol City will have made a strong squad addition. Does he make the starting XI significantly better straightaway? Perhaps not. But he is yet to sign a new contract with West Ham and has described Bristol City as feeling ‘like home’, so they could be in pole position if he becomes a free agent in the summer.
🟠 Myles Peart-Harris (LW/RW) - [Brentford - Oxford] - Undisclosed
Friday was a busy day for Oxford: they announced their second signing of the window at lunchtime, revealed a new manager at 5pm and won their FA Cup Third Round tie after 10pm in Milton Keynes.
In Peart-Harris, new boss Matt Bloomfield inherits a gifted young attacking player who is polished in possession and has an eye for goal, but who is maybe yet to find his best role and position. With Jamie Donley already in the building to compete with Filip Krastev through the middle, Peart-Harris will probably find himself out wide when used. That’s where he had the most success on loan at Swansea last season, before an injury curtailed a promising campaign.
At 23, he signs a short-term deal at Oxford, which suits all parties. A fit-again Peart-Harris will see this as a chance to showcase his talents ahead of becoming a free agent, while the Yellows will hope they’re in the box seat this summer should he have a good spell with the club.
🟢 Ronnie Edwards (CB) - [Southampton - QPR] - Undisclosed
The prodigal son returns. Having barely featured for Southampton after an excellent 2024/25 loan at QPR under Martí Cifuentes, Edwards joins Julian Stéphan this time around.
