Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

Opinion

Premier League clubs make 6 late signings from Championship – Have Newcastle missed out?

3 years ago
Share

This latest transfer window had an extra element, 11 additional days when Premier League clubs could still trade with EFL clubs in the three divisions below.

That extra part of the 2020 summer transfer window eventually closed at 5pm yesterday (Friday 16 October).

For most of that window it looked as though the business was going to be almost exclusively one-way traffic.

Dozens of deals took players from Premier League clubs to the Championship and below, mainly on loan deals.

However, as the transfer window was set to close, we saw a late rush of players moving from the Championship to Premier League clubs.

One happened earlier in the week and then another five transfers in the final 24 hours or so of the window.

Should Newcastle United have got involved?

16 October

Said Benrahma [Brentford – West Ham] £5m loan with obligation to buy for £20m

Very exciting player, the 25 year old has been directly involved in 50 Championship goals these past two seasons, scoring 27 and 23 assists.

Jack Butland [Stoke – Crystal Palace] £1m

Went to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and was still making the England squad as recently as 16 months ago (June 2019).

Terence Kongolo [Huddersfield – Fulham] £4m

Was a highly rated 24 year old Dutch international centre-back when Huddersfield paid Monaco £18m back in summer 2018.

Joe Rodon [Swansea – Tottenham] £11m

The 22 year old is a promising centre-back who is already now a regular for Wales.

15 October

Karlan Grant [Huddersfield – West Brom] £15m

Scored 19 goals in 42 Championship starts last season for a team that almost got relegated, only three points above third bottom. The 22 year old is an English striker with potential to improve.

12 October

Craig Dawson [Watford – West Ham] Loan

Very experienced Premier League defender, the 30 year old was previously first choice at West Brom for many seasons.

I think you could make a case for all six players with Newcastle United, to greater or lesser extents.

The weakest cases would probably be with Craig Dawson, who is a decent experienced centre-back, but Newcastle have got their fair share of them. Then Terence Kongolo as well, he is a decent age (26) but has done little in the past two seasons to convince, though you can understand Fulham taking a punt considering how bad their defending has been.

Jack Butland was rated by many as the best English keeper and repeatedly there were claims of a big money move. Still only 27 so he could find his form again and at only £1m would prove a massive bargain if doing so. However, you get the feeling that maybe he missed his chance and if he’d got a move to another Premier League club he might well have kept progressing and if so, would almost certainly have been number one England keeper now, when you take into account how poor Pickford is.

The other three Championship movers are the most interesting.

Said Benrahma has repeatedly linked with a succession of Premier League clubs and with Brentford missing out on promotion, only a matter of time before somebody offered enough money. The £25m deal West Ham have had accepted could prove a real bargain if the new signing can get anywhere close to repeating his Championship stats in the Premier League.

Scoring a goal every other game for a club fighting relegation in the second tier is a great effort and at only 22, Karlan Grant should be open to plenty of improvement. Newcastle United definitely needed another goalscoring option, as we are only an injury to Wilson away from wondering where goals would come from.

Joe Rodon has been much talked about and the 22 year old Welsh international central defender looks a great prospect. Centre-back is a decent area for Newcastle United as things stand, injuries permitting, but a younger centre-back needs to be added in the near future if possible.

If Mike Ashley had been prepared to show the ambition, I think Rodon and Benrahma would have been great signings in my opinion.

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks