Done Deals: Yang to Coventry, Cashin to Blackburn, Stokes to Stockport & Adelakun back at Donny – plus Gab Sutton on Bolton's new face
Every day from Tuesday to Saturday, NTT20.COM writes-up and rates every single signing in the Championship, League One, and League Two.
Done Deals provides analysis and ratings for every signing in the EFL. The bulletin will be published Tuesday-Saturday mornings throughout the January Transfer Window. Contributors include: Ali Maxwell, George Elek, Sam Parry, Huw Davies, Riley Roberts, Matt Watts, Craig Bradley, Gab Sutton and Luke “LouOrns” McKenzie.
Today’s bulletin has some big moves, but we’ve also prepared a little side order to go with your main. Let’s call it… PARTIAL RECALL.
As well as analysis on the most up-to-date incomings, we’ve included a list at the end of each division of the on-loan EFL players who went back to their parent club in the past week. Whether recalled or simply returning as scheduled, their loan spell is at an end. Some won’t be missed all that much, nor even remembered in some cases, but last season showed us that losing a loanee can leave a club feeling very Lowe indeed…
Right, enough housekeeping. Now we give a warm winter-window welcome to Gab Sutton, to give us his hot take on Bolton’s new boy.
⏳ Lewis Temple (CB) - [Shelbourne - Bolton] - Undisclosed
The League of Ireland has become an increasingly popular shopping centre for EFL clubs. Temple, reportedly costing ‘a six-figure fee’, becomes the 37th man to cross the waters since 2022, with Bolton joining Lincoln among the most enthusiastic LOI importers.
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher clearly wanted greater defensive depth, having picked just three centre-backs for Wanderers in the league – George Johnston, Chris Forino and Eoin Toal, with Will Forrester out of favour – but, at 20, Temple is something of a project signing as well. The 6’3” defender was a kickboxing black belt, and a WKKC World Championship bronze medal winner at the age of nine, and he has since channelled his prodigious martial arts talents into football.
Temple has established himself as a tough customer with an incredible mentality. From a young age, he impressed Shelbourne boss Damien Duff, whom he credits with setting high technical standards. That’s especially evident in the conviction behind Temple’s passing, which caught the eye of Schumacher and Bolton sporting director Fergal Harkin when they monitored his performances.
Whether or not Temple will immediately be up to the technical standards of League One, or its intensity, is a case of wait-and-see. But one thing’s for certain: he’s not to be messed with.
🟢 Eiran Cashin (CB) - [Brighton - Blackburn] - Loan
Injuries, international call-ups and insufficient depth forced Blackburn to play with two youngsters either side of Sean McLoughlin in their back three last time out, and they also had to recall Connor O’Riordan from Doncaster to bring him on at half-time. So, it’s no surprise that they’ve brought in a central defender early in this window, and Cashin is the man in question.
Cashin has previously enjoyed success with Derby, but he comes off an error-ridden loan at Birmingham where his lack of pace and ability in build-up meant he never truly suited Chris Davies’ needs, especially when forced out to left-back. However, the 24-year-old is a solid box defender who likes to put his body on the line, and that should be welcome to a Blackburn side who sit 20th in the Championship.
