EFL Transfer Bulletin #7 – Wigan move for Mullin, Nat Phillips to West Brom, and Bristol City sign Adam Randell

The latest done deals in the EFL, and in focus: Ali Maxwell on the National League North All-Stars.

The EFL Transfer Bulletin is written by Ali Maxwell, George Elek, Huw Davies, Sam Parry, Matt Watts, Craig Bradley and Riley Roberts, with the help of the NTT20 Squad.

We’re approaching the 200th EFL transfer of the summer, and we’re writing something about every single signing on NTT20.COM. It could be something we like. Something we don’t like. Perhaps a trend we’ve spotted amongst the numbers – and we like numbers. If you’re interested in finding out more about the sites we use to research incoming players, then check out our very own NTT20 Research Bible.

Here are the latest 25 EFL transfers.

National League North All-Stars…

Freddie Sass (LB/LWB) - [King’s Lynn Town - Accrington] - Free

We are going to have to start referring to Accrington Stanley as the National League North All-Stars.

Last season, they signed Boston’s strike pairing of Kelsey Mooney and Jimmy Knowles after their NLN promotion, as well as Tyler Walton, Devon Matthews and Charlie Caton from other National League North clubs (respectively Southport, Curzon Ashton and Chester, since you asked). Now it’s 23-year-old left-sided defender Freddie Sass, who was playing in that division for King’s Lynn last season. This fills a clear hole in John Doolan’s squad, and shows their desire to perfect recruiting from a lesser-tapped market.

Accy likely have a budget more suited to non-league than the EFL, so focusing on dominating one pool of players makes sense – a little like Portsmouth and the A-League, higher up the pyramid. It’s likely that many National League teams can offer a better wage, but Stanley can offer a Football League platform to those striving to get there, and that’s an edge within this player pool.

Having a clear recruitment strategy also provides clarity within a lower budget and, most likely, a small staff for this level. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, nor that it guarantees success. The double signing of Knowles and Mooney didn’t bear fruit. Often, players signed from the sixth tier have never played full-time, professional football before, and find it hard to instantly perform over a gruelling 10-month season.

But Walton and Matthews can be considered successes, with Caton earmarked to kick on this season. And so, rather than doubt their methods, Accy have instead decided to look again at their squad and give it some Sass.

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Championship

Sidnei Tavares (CM) - [Moreirense - Blackburn] - Undisclosed

Sidnei Tavares, formerly of Leicester City’s academy, returns to the UK with Blackburn after spells at Porto B, Colorado Rapids and, most recently, two seasons at Moreirense. The 23-year-old is a tall, rangy midfielder with the energy to cover serious ground – a trait likely to have caught Valérien Ismaël’s eye.

With Adam Forshaw re-signing last week and Lewis Travis, Sondre Tronstad, John Buckley and Jake Garrett all still at the club, does this addition of Tavares mean we should expect a departure from Blackburn’s midfield before long?

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Adam Randell (CM) - [Plymouth - Bristol City] - Undisclosed (reported £750,000)