How many new signings do Huddersfield Town need?

Huddersfield Town’s squad is worryingly thin at the moment. Everyone knows that new players are needed but which positions are most desperately in need of being filled?

To answer this question, I’m going to take a look at every position on the pitch and look at what options Town currently have. Some areas look well-stocked whereas other parts of the pitch are severely lacking.

Goalkeeper – options but too many monkeys on too many backs

• Ben Hamer
• Joel Pereira
• Ryan Schofield

This is an area of the pitch where we could have issues this season. Ben Hamer has struggled for form all the time he’s been at Town (including while on loan at Derby). His understudy, Pereira had an even worse time of it last season at Hearts.

It’s not clear where Schofield falls in the pecking order but it won’t matter until he recovers from the broken thumb he suffered in preseason.

Until Schofield is available we’re banking one of the other two keepers can get the monkey off their back and find some form. This could happen but the emphasis on playing out from the back makes it harder because it puts the keeper under pressure and therefore mistakes are more likely.

I can’t see any more keepers coming in this window unless Hamer finds a new club. Given he’s likely on a decent wage and hasn’t impressed in the last few seasons, I can’t see other clubs battering our door down to take him off our hands.

Left back – traditional weak area becomes a strength

• Harry Toffolo
• Jaden Brown

Town have struggled to find decent left backs in the time I’ve followed them but right now I feel like we’ve got two decent options in this area. Toffolo looks great and is becoming a real leader of the team on the pitch.

Brown is less experienced than Toffolo but did well last season when called upon and is definitely good enough as backup.

Ben Jackson deserved a mention too as the academy product was a left back until Carlos thought he’d be more effective in midfield. If we were short then he could cover this position.

Centre back – Lots of options

• Christopher Schindler
• Naby Sarr
• Richard Stearman
• Tommy Elphick (injured)
• Terence Kongolo
• Rarmani Edmonds-Green
• Romoney Crichlow

Despite our squad feeling very thin, central defence is a part of the pitch we are well stocked with players, in theory at least.

It remains to be seen if Elphick will return from his injury and Kongolo may leave before the window ends. So those two could easily fall off the list.

Schindler and Stearman were the chosen pairing at the weekend but there are question marks about whether they can adjust to the very different style of play that Corberán wants from his central defenders.

Naby Sarr looks like he’s the kind of ball-playing central defender we need but it took him long time to settle at Chalton. Hopefully the transition up north won’t be as unsettling but it could take a bit of time for him to adjust.

Edmonds-Green and Crichlow both look ready for first team football and I can imagine one of them playing quite a few games this season. The one furthest down the pecking order may need to go out on loan to get game time. With proper management, I can imagine these two being a long-term defensive partnership, like Mirfin and Clarke were back in the Young Guns days.

Right back – a good first choice but unproven backup

• Pipa
• Aaron Rowe
• Dumeaco Duhaney
• (Florent Hadergjonaj – on his way out)

Until Pipa’s arrival this was the biggest area of concern. Now we look to have a high-quality starter in Pipa and even though his experience in men’s football is limited he looks to have all the attributes to thrive in the new system.

Rowe is another player than has swapped position since Corberán arrived and is now a fullback/wingback. Judging by the team selections in friendlies and the league cup he’s immediately overtaken Duhaney and is the likely backup to Pipa.

Duhaney could have been released at the end of last season but the club extended his deal, so clearly he’s seen as someone the club likes. However he could find he gets few chances in the first team this season. A loan may be useful for him to build experience and confidence.

Defensive midfield – we need a quarter back

• Jonathan Hogg
• Josh Austerfield

The Examiner said at the weekend that this part of the pitch is currently the club’s top priority to strengthen. This suggests Carlos doesn’t think either of the available option are enough.

Jonathan Hogg is a long-serving and influential member of the squad. I thought he did a pretty good job in this position at the weekend but his passing ability holds him back from being the quarterback-style midfielder that his system needs to get the play going.

I really liked the look of Austerfield in preseason and he does seem like he’s capable of spraying balls all over the pitch and starting play off from deep. He is inexperienced though and won’t get the same time on the ball in the Championship as he did in friendly games.

James Garner at Manchester United has long been linked with a loan move to Town and could help us in this area. A loan may be the preferred option if it’s felt that Austerfield is the future for this position but needs more experience before he is ready to be first choice.

Central midfield – more options needed

• Lewis O’Brien
• Alex Pritchard
• Juninho Bacuna
• Ben Jackson
• Matty Daly

Town have badly missed Lewis O’Brien on the last few games. His energy, pressing, defensive work rate and attacking skill make him perfect for the midfield role in Carlosball (if that’s what we’re going to call it).

While O’Brien is the obvious first choice for one of these slots, it’s less clear who should partner him. Alex Pritchard hasn’t looked very effective in the last couple of games. Bacuna has played on the wings more than central midfield but has been poor and wasteful in both positions.

Jackson and Daly may be able to do a job in this role but that’s not certain given both have so little experience at this level.

At least one or possibly two additions are needed in midfield in my opinion. A player with the confidence on the ball and the vision of Aaron Mooy would be ideal but those players don’t come cheap.

Wingers – a Karlan Grant sized hole to fill

• Josh Koroma
• Adama Diakhaby
• Isaac Mbenza
• (Karlan Grant – soon departing)

Karlan Grant seems very likely to be moving on from Huddersfield soon so this is another area where Town need to strengthen. Hopefully some of Grant’s transfer fee, alongside money received for Mounié, Sohbi and Hadergjonaj can be spent on a quality addition here. We need a replacement capable of scoring at least some of the goals Grant was getting for us last season.

Josh Koroma didn’t impress much in his first season at Town but he looks like a different proposition this season. He was one of our better players against Norwich and has been good in preseason. I’m not sure how prolific he’s likely to be but the signs are promising.

Despite their past issues, Mbenza and Diakhaby have applied themselves so far this season and look to have taken advantage of the clean slate they’ve been offered under the new regime.

There’s still plenty of time for past issues with this pair to reemerge but so they’re doing OK. Even if their attitude is right, they still have to have the ability too. Hopefully the new coaching team can coax more out of them than past managers have managed.

I don’t think there are any academy wingers immediately knocking on the door to get into the team, so we’re likely to need to dip into the transfer market to cover the gaps in this position. However, there could be a couple of gems that surprise us if given a chance.

Strikers – do we have enough goals?

• Danny Ward
• Frazier Campbell

Steve Mounié’s departure leaves us looking a bit short up top. This was evident at the weekend where a minor hamstring niggle to Ward left us without a fully fit striker in the squad.

I’m also not confident that either of the current options up front are likely to score the goals we need to stay up. One or the other may just reach double figures but a more potent striker would settle a lot of fans nerves.

It’s not as simple as going out and buying a goal poaching centre forward though as they’ll also have to do the work required of them in the new system. Finding players capable of busting a gut to close down the opposition and being able to score at will isn’t easy or cheap.

So how many new signings do Town need?

Based on what I’ve said above, to be competitive Town will need at least:

• A ball-playing defensive midfielder
• A central midfielder
• A goal-scoring winger
• A striker with an eye for goal (but is also willing to do lots of work off the ball)

So that makes four players to fill the most glaring gaps in the squad. On top of that we could really do with another central midfielder and winger to give us competition for places.

With the rumour mill currently fairly quiet, it’s hard to see another four to six new arrivals before the window shuts. It could be that Town have managed to line up deals under the radar and will complete them when Grant leaves. Or it may be we’re leaving it late.

It’s not just the number of players but the ambition we show with our signings that will matter. The transfer business from Town so far has been slow and not particularly exhilarating.

All our new signings make sense and fit well with the new style of play but don’t get me giddy. Now we need a few big signings to get fans excited and show that the club has ambition beyond fighting against relegation again.