EFL Transfer Bulletin #22 – Gelhardt back at Hull, Watford nab a wonderkid, Grimsby grab a former youth star, and Stoke (re)sign a World Cup Winner

The latest done deals in the EFL, and in focus: former Championship Golden Boot winner Chuba Akpom makes his EFL return.

The entire 72 is now up and running. Across the EFL, there are gaps to fill, pegs to find and holes to plug. Here’s the latest 23 signings.

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Gyökeres, Šeško, Isak, Akpom…

Transfer sagas aren’t exclusive to the Top 20 - as seen by the race to sign the former Championship Golden Boot winner, Chuba Akpom.

Initially, it appeared that Akpom would become Birmingham’s latest high-profile signing. Then, his old club Middlesbrough attempted to hijack the deal, before Ipswich actually did hijack the deal. Like something from a Guy Ritchie movie, Birmingham made another attempt to take Akpom to St Andrew’s (one which was apparently more appealing to Ajax), before Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich finally secured the 29-year-old’s signature. Boro had pistols and sentiment. Birmingham had rifles and a project. As for Ipswich, they had sawn-off shotguns, the most realistic promotion credentials and a style of play that excited the player.

One question remains though - which Chuba Akpom have Ipswich signed? Is it the man who starred for Michael Carrick’s effervescent Middlesbrough 1.0 in 22/23, scoring 29 times as Boro reached the play-offs? Or is it the man who has only reached double figures for league goals once in his other 11 full seasons as a professional? If Kieran McKenna can build the same kind of relationship with Akpom as his former Manchester United colleague Michael Carrick did, then it could be the former. After all, there are clear similarities in terms of their style of play and the way that they like to set their teams up. At Ipswich, you would imagine that Akpom will operate in the shadow striker role - just as he did at Boro. This would mean competing for a place with another former Championship Golden Boot winner, Sammie Szmodics, but it’s a position that does seem to get the best out of both players.

The former Arsenal man believes that he’s returning to the Championship as a better player than the one who left in the summer of 2023. While the Eredevisie and Ligue One should be respected, returning to English football after a two-year absence may not be straightforward. However, in terms of style of play, tactical setup and the quality of players around him, it does feel like everything is in place for Akpom to succeed at Ipswich. Given Town’s healthy financial position, a season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy for a fee in the region of £7m upon promotion feels like good business - even if Akpom may not necessarily be a part of their plans in the top flight.

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Championship

Joe Gelhardt (AM/ST) - [Leeds - Hull] - Loan

The man they call “Joffy” returns to Hull on loan. It’s like he never left, having finished last season there and coming on to make a second debut as a sub on Saturday. Gelhardt was seen as a real talent when coming through at Wigan and then Leeds but has taken a little time to get going at senior level. Could this be his breakout season? Gelhardt was initially a centre-forward but has become more of a #10 of late where he can make use of his ability in tight spaces while also being able to get shots off consistently. In the words of @Louorns, occasionally of this parish: “A hardworking, dribbly, shot taking 10.” Lovely.

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Yang Min-hyeok (RW) - [Tottenham - Portsmouth] - Loan