EFL Transfer Bulletin #2 – Tangerines go bananas, Tranmere go back to the future, and Grimsby get a song...
The latest done deals in the EFL, and in focus: Blackpool's centre-back spree.
Hello, Ali here…
The boss (Sam) asked me to do the intro. Only a month since the end of the regular season and I’m already missing the stupid Monday Pod intros that became an NTT20 staple this season. So here we go:
Another transfer bulletin 13 bullets in the chamber A bulletin that'll fill you in with genuine information No clickbait hinting We’re printing nothing but done deals Freebies, loans and steals We incite insight, not suggestive sh*te A balanced meal, not a sugar rush No transfer hysteria, our only criteria- Is to make things clearer in the obfuscation era.
So, pour yourself a glass of water (hydration is crucial), peel a tangerine, and let’s get In Focus…
Fraser Horsfall (CB) - [Stockport - Blackpool] - Free
Michael Ihiekwe (CB) - [ Sheffield Wednesday - Blackpool] - Free
Ali Maxwell
The League One promotion battle was already looking like a spicy prospect:
Luton have parachute payments, they’ll be strong.
Argyle are a different beast than the last time they were in League One.
Cardiff, surely they’ll go well if they get the managerial hire right?
Bolton under Schumacher? Due to improve.
Huddersfield signing Marcus Harness and Ryan Ledson? They’re not messing around.
Stockport were third last season and on an upwards trajectory.
Wycombe have got cash.
Leyton Orient under Wellens, with a new owner? Competitive at least.
But, early this week, a new League One promotion hopeful forcibly entered the chat. A club that no one was talking about. Now, Blackpool aren’t exactly a minnow. 9th in the table last season, 10th for average attendance. But, rightly or wrongly, they didn’t seem like a buzzy team when the window opened. They are now.
Fraser Horsfall, Stockport’s ever-impressive centre-back, was out of contract but offered good terms. Born and bred in Huddersfield, a move to The Terriers made too much sense. 2+2? Not always 4.
A four-year deal and, per rumours, a very competitive weekly wage, has him in Tangerine. Horsfall is 28 and has fought his way to this point the hard way: two seasons in National League North, four in League Two, two in League One. He’s earned the level of security that the contract length provides, not to mention the chance to learn from an iconic and highly decorated former centre-back in Steve Bruce. A big statement from Blackpool FC. Followed by another, one day later.
Michael Ihiekwe. Three-year deal. Across the Championship and League One, Ihiekwe’s performances have been excellent for six years - three at Rotherham and three more at Sheffield Wednesday. The only question mark has been fitness: he’s not got past 22 league starts for three straight seasons. Like Horsfall, he’ll have had plenty of interest. And like Horsfall, Ihiekwe’s prioritising of a long-term deal makes complete sense aged 32.
These are exciting deals for Blackpool fans, and have caused the wider EFL world to sit up and take notice. Who else might Blackpool sign this window? If our moles are to be believed, there’s more to be done.
Now, it’s only a few months since Blackpool’s owner Simon Sadler was the subject of an FT Weekend cover story. This was the title and subheader:
Inside the downfall of trading titan and Blackpool FC owner Simon Sadler
He was a heavyweight in Hong Kong finance and a hometown hero. Now he faces the possibility of jail
There don’t appear to have been any further public developments since the story was published, so the most pertinent information right now is that Sadler is still Blackpool’s owner, and seemingly willing and able to give Steve Bruce more transfer backing than Neil Critchley received last summer.
It’s exciting times for Blackpool fans, but it’s worth remembering that the recruitment concepts of ‘getting business done early’ and ‘offering higher wages and/or longer contracts than your rivals’ are not necessarily silver bullets for glory.
But let’s talk football for a moment, because that often gets lost in breathless transfer window coverage. Promotion campaigns are difficult if you can’t defend your box. Blackpool had the 13th-best defence last season, but only Birmingham scored more goals. If they are to crack the top six, or better, then improving the defensive record is the long-hanging tangerine, and these two signings clearly make it more achievable. In order to attract these players, rather than ones of a lower level, three or four-year deals were likely necessary.
Is it likely that the length of those deals causes a headache for Blackpool down the line? Yes. The jump in revenue following promotion to the Championship would make that risk feel negligible, but with the list of promotion rivals looking abundant, it’s acceptable for this level of ‘ambition’ to make you wince, as well as feel excited.
Blackpool are giving it a go.
Championship
Pol Valentín (RB/RWB) - [Sheffield Wednesday - Preston] - Free
PNE's player of the 2024/25 season, loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden, has returned to Aston Villa (for the time being), which saw North End reduced to Brad Potts as the only senior right wing-back in the squad. Pol Valentín arrives, after two seasons with Sheffield Wednesday, to add competition in the area. He carries some thrust - he's quick. But he's not as technically capable as Potts. If only Preston could mould the two...
League One
Curtis Tilt (CB) - [Salford - Bradford] - Free
Following Max Power through the door at Valley Parade, Curtis Tilt becomes the second member of the Wigan side who won League One in 21/22 to join Bradford City this summer. Tilt is an aggressive defender who is imperious in the air. The former Salford man is best-suited to playing at the heart of a back three, but, crucially, he is left-footed so he can also play as an LCB. The Jamaican international is vastly experienced at the level, and his leadership skills are undeniable - but he does turn 34 in August, so eyebrows might be raised at the two-year deal.
Glenn Middleton (LW) - [Dundee Utd - Doncaster] - Free
25-year-old Middleton has been around the top flight in Scotland with Rangers, Hibernian, St Johnstone and Dundee Utd since breaking through in the 2018/19 season, apart from the 23/24 season in the Scottish Championship, where he helped Dundee Utd to promotion. However, it took the drop in level for Middleton to add any slightly significant output to his performances - and even in that season, he underperformed his season xG of 7.38 with just 4 goals. Middleton is left-footed, but in contrast to plenty of modern-day wide players, he mostly plays from his natural side. That's good news for Middleton, as it's difficult to see him getting many minutes ahead of Luke Molyneux on Donny's right.
Bradley Ibrahim (CM) - [Hertha Berlin - Plymouth] - Undisclosed
Argyle spend an undisclosed fee to bring 20-year-old Bradley Ibrahim back to the UK on a permanent transfer from Hertha Berlin after the midfielder racked up plenty of League One minutes with Crawley on loan last season. Ibrahim, mostly recognised for his deep-lying ball-playing ability, has plenty of potential to develop beyond a League One player, so it's good business to tie him to a 4-year contract. He becomes Plymouth's fourth signing of the window. New Head of Recruitment Tom Randle isn't resting on his laurels. But does it also mean that there will be some key departures to follow?
League Two
Emmanuel Osadebe (RB/CM/RW) - [Forest Green - Barnet] - Free
It’s time for the allocation of funding to devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to move over; there’s a new Barnet formula in town. Halifax. Halifax. Eastbourne. Forest Green. The Bees are coaxing National League players to the Hive. Manager Dean Brennan has spoken about keeping tabs on players who’ve played well against his side, and clearly it’s worked to date.
Emmanuel Osadebe is the latest signing, and is no stranger to League Two, having played in the fourth tier for Forest Green, Bradford, Walsall, Macclesfield, Cambridge and Newport. He’s quick. He can deliver a cross. He can beat a man. The question is, where might he play? Last season, he was used as a central midfielder, a right winger and at right back. Of course, that versatility might be all the Bees are looking for. But they usually played in a three-at-the-back system in their title-winning National League campaign, and given they’re already fairly stacked at RWB, it seems likely he’ll slot in as an attacking option who drifts onto that right-hand side.
Justin Amaluzor (RW) - [Altrincham - Grimsby] - Free
Grimsby wanted to counter-attack last season — sometimes patiently, but always with the urge to break quickly and vertically. The intent was there, but at times they lacked the athleticism, physicality, and dynamism to make those transitions stick. So here we are: Justin Amaluzor (…baby, why don’t you kill me).
At Altrincham, the 28-year-old’s role was more water carrier than technician — less about intricate final-third play, more about engine, energy, and territory. That point of difference makes him a useful contrast to the slighter-framed, more technical Jason Daði Svanþórsson. Amaluzor has the physical profile to collect the ball and get Grimsby up the pitch, something the Mariners often lacked last term. And surely that’s what transfers are about: identifying weaknesses and addressing them.
For a club operating on a bottom-half budget, Grimsby have to be creative. They were with Svanþórsson last summer; they are again with Amaluzor now. It feels like Grimsby have just hit the "makes total sense" button. Don’t dismiss his goal contribution record too early, Dave Artell has a knack for improving players’ attacking output, see:
Kieran Green: goal contributions over the last three seasons — 1, then 6, then 15.
Evan Khouri: appearances vs goal contributions across five years — 8/1, 3/0, 22/1, 8/1, then 51/6.
Denver Hume: in 2023/24, 16 appearances, 0 assists; the following season — 48 appearances, 16 assists.
Shawn McCoulsky (ST) - [Maidenhead - Harrogate] - Free
McCoulsky scored 15 goals in 44 National League games, and actually, those were more like 35 full 90s. That’s the name of the game with this one: goals. Harrogate were League Two’s second-lowest goalscorer in 24/25, and now they have their new number nine - he’s nabbed the shirt off Stephen Duke-McKenna. Last season was the first real prolific spell of the 28-year-old’s career, and whilst there were some eye-catching finishes amongst them, it’s going to be much tougher in the fourth tier unless Harrogate do the tricky bit and improve on creating chances in the first place.
Matthew Dennis (ST) - [Carlisle - Notts County] - Free
Having impressed during the second half of last season at Carlisle, free agent Matthew Dennis makes the move to Notts County on a three-year deal. Dennis is a versatile forward with excellent physical attributes. While his career goal return doesn’t exactly jump off the page, his shot-to-goal ratio at Carlisle was good, and the quality of some of his finishes was particularly impressive. Dennis’ injury record is a slight cause for concern, but at the age of 23, the former MK Dons man has the potential to be a top player at the level.
Kallum Cesay (RB/CM) - [Wealdstone - Salford] - Undisclosed
It’s a fun pick-up for Salford. Cesay is a player who, in the National League, was often used by Wealdstone in whatever position would mean he could isolate his opposite number 1v1. We reckon he’s probably a centre-mid in the long run. Why?
Well, the Spurs academy graduate has a proper engine. He makes the sort of line-breaking runs that teams at all levels want. Yes, he’s raw. But Salford are picking up an adaptable and energetic young player with plenty of room to grow. One to watch.
James Ball (CB/CM) - [AFC Wimbledon - Swindon] - Free
Don Don Donnnnnn! No, that’s not the sound of rising action in a shlocky horror flick, it’s James Ball making the move from Wimbledon to Swindon. If he were a subgenre, the 29-year-old would be body horror: physical, tall and imposing in the air. He brings badge-thumping energy and promotion-winning experience, whether at centre-back or central midfield. That versatility fits a funky pattern from last season, where Swindon regularly swapped CMs into CB and CBs into CM — or put another way, they leaned heavily on adaptability. Ball’s a ball-winner, but he’s also plenty comfortable in possession. He was excellent at the back in 2024 until injury in November disrupted his season.
It says a lot that Wimbledon fans were gutted to see him on the released list. A lot to like here. A future fan favourite? Very possibly.
Ethan Bristow (LB/LWB) - [Unattached - Tranmere] - Free
A definite upgrade. Ethan Bristow returns to Tranmere after a stint in MLS following the 2022/23 season, where he was ever-present in Rovers’ 12th-placed finish. His homecoming will bring some real positivity to Prenton Park.
While his time in the U.S. didn’t quite take off, being seen as a strong loan option for promotion-chasing Stockport County in 24/25 speaks volumes about the 23-year-old’s ability. Bristow offers wicked set-piece delivery and real athleticism at left-back or LCB. It’s something of a surprise to see him back at this level. Does it point to Tranmere’s loftier ambitions for the 2025/26 campaign? One thing’s certain: their defensive unit suddenly looks a lot stronger.
The EFL Transfer Bulletin is published every Tuesday and Friday during the Summer Window. To get full access to this and every instalment, why not consider becoming a paid subscriber to NTT20.COM?
Is that a Pol Pot(ts) reference I see? Great writing as always Ali!