EFL Transfer Bulletin #1 – Norwich buy the Wright man, Hudds Harness a marquee signing, and new boys Barnet are busy Bees

The 47 Done Deals in the EFL, and in focus: gigantic defender Joshua Quarshie joins Southampton as Will Still's first signing

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This, the EFL Transfer Bulletin, will hit inboxes every Tuesday and Friday morning during the summer window. Long-term subscribers will know that’s how we have run things in previous years; the only difference this time is that we’ll be adding a longer write-up for one transfer in focus per bulletin. Today, we’re looking at Will Still’s first signing as Southampton boss. Welcome back, Saints fans!

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Joshua Quarshie (CB) - [Hoffenheim - Southampton] - Undisclosed

The first signing of Will Still’s Southampton reign is 20-year-old Hoffenheim centre-back Joshua Quarshie. At almost 6'6, he is an imposing figure, and as you might expect, he’s good in the air. He can also play progressively off both feet and is equally adept on the right or the left of a defensive partnership.

Quarshie spent last season on loan at Greuther Furth, where he clocked the fastest recorded sprint of any player in 2.Bundesliga. He is lightning-quick when his large frame gets up to top speed, but an area of concern is his mobility in short spaces.

Southampton have plenty of shape-shifting to do to become Championship-ready, and their current abundance of centre-backs makes it difficult to place Quarshie in the depth chart. Will he be trusted from the get-go?

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Championship

Phil Neumann (CB/RB) - [Hannover - Birmingham] - Undisclosed

Blues land a neu defensive option in Neumann, who was announced in January on a pre-contract. He played all of his minutes for Hannover at centre-back, but is also comfortable at full-back. That’s not really a surprise given his output in 2. Bundesliga last season – the 27-year-old evidently likes the football at his feet. But in Hannover’s three-at-the-back formation, Neumann profiled as less of a build-up-starting centre-half and more of an overlappy marauder, in the 2018/19 Sheffield United fashion.

Alfons Sampsted (RB) - [FC Twente - Birmingham] - Undisclosed