Huddersfield Town have already been busy in the transfer market this summer, but I think there are still some signings needed before the window closes. I don’t know which specific players will be coming in, but here are the three areas of the pitch we most need to bring in some new blood.
A quality winger
Every Town fan I’ve spoken to about this transfer window has said that our priority has to be to add some creativity to the final third. Kachunga, Ince, VLP, and Quaner all had their moments last season but for various reasons they didn’t contribute enough goals or assists between them.
Ramadan Sobhi’s arrival adds something to this area of the pitch, but he’s likely to start out as a squad player. I think one high-quality addition will push Town on. There are press reports linking us with a few wingers from abroad, with Limbombe being the most consistently mentioned. If that transfer gets over the line then it might be enough to solve the issues we had last season.
A first choice left-back
Terence Kongolo did an admirable job at left-back towards the end of last season and helped to shore up the shakiest part of our defence. However, he’s a central defender that can do a job at left-back and I’d expect him to compete for a central spot next season. Kongolo is an excellent defender but looks outside his comfort zone when overlapping his winger and attacking the opposition.
The lastest rumours are that Erik Durm will NOT be arriving from Dortmund, after weeks of speculation. The deal allegedly broke down over his wage demands after the two clubs agreed a fee. While this deal seems to be off, it shows that Wagner is looking to strengthen in this area of the pitch.
Malone and Löwe both had iffy moments last season, so it makes sense that we’d look to invest in this area. I believe that Löwe can still perform at this level, particularly if he can stay free of injury. I’m less sure about Malone, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was sold to a club in the top-half of the Championship.
A backup striker
Depoitre and Mounié both, on balance, had good seasons last year. To say it was their first year in English football and the Premier League, they adjusted well and scored enough goals between them to keep us up (just).
Mounié had a blip when he returned from his mysterious heel injury but came back strong in the second half of the season. While Depoitre didn’t have the same lethal edge as Mounié, he did graft for the club and scored at vital moments (Man United at home and Chelsea away).
I think both our current strikers are likely to improve next season, now they’ve got their first year under their belt, but we need another option in this position. Both are fairly similar in style, so having a different type of striker on the bench would give us options.
It’s possible that Kachunga could revert back to his old position of being a central striker, given the increased competition on the wings, but it may be better to buy in someone new. I think a pacey and promising young striker would be a good addition.
Have I missed any other ares we need to strengthen? Add your comments below…
Agree with view, although 2 wingers not 1 more as prioritu. Durm sounds perfect of fit as adds Right Back cover too, so, fingers crossed something gets sorted.
Thanks for your comment Phil. I’m not sure we’ve got enough money to bring in two wingers that will be improvements on the ones we already have, I’d rather see one that is considerably better. We’ll have to see what the rest of the transfer window holds.
It is not all about the players. The system played does not produce goals. This was proved in the Championship and in the Premier League. If the first thought is to pass back then Town will never score goals, whoever is upfront in attack. Wagner has just one way of playing (“our identity!”) and doesn’t seem to have a plan B if plan A isn’t working and when it doesn’t work, Town lose by a cricket score. The system he uses may work for Klopp at Liverpool as he has brilliant individuals who can turn a game. Wagner has only average to good players who are just not good enough or who’s creativity is not allowed to flourish by the system played. So before millions are spent on players no better than those playing for Town now, Wagner should look carefully into his approach and see if much of the problems are of his own making.
Thanks for your comment Tony. I think Wagner played a variety of other tactics other than the standard 4-2-3-1 that he prefers. Most of the variations were more defensive minded, but mostly because we were underdogs in so many games.
I find it interesting that some fans think Wagner achieved something incredible last season, and others think he got his tactics wrong and was too negative. I think I’m in the camp of people that think the sun shines out of his bum, so I’m inclined to think he’s doing a pretty good job.