Not the top 20 are doing a daily email in January with a round up of the transfers. Here is this morning's edition, rounding up yday's deals.
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Jeremy Sarmiento (W) - [Brighton - Ipswich Town] - loan
A day after being recalled from West Bromwich Albion, Brighton have diverted this tricky Venezuelan international to Ipswich Town.
With 7 starts and 13 substitute appearances in the league, Sarmiento never truly broke into Carlos Corberan’s WBA first XI,
though he did have a few dynamic moments.
Some will raise eyebrows at him ‘falling upwards’ in terms of the league position of his former and current loan club. And looking at the current options — Broadhead, Harness, Chaplin, Burns, Hutchinson — you have to wonder: will he actually get more minutes than he did at WBA?
Regardless of game time, one thing is for sure: 6 months learning defensive structure from Corberan, and 6 months soaking in the attacking patterns at the altar of McKenna — that’s a serious secondment for someone learning the game.
RATING: ON THE FENCE
Adam Murphy (CM) - [St Patrick’s Athletic- Bristol City] - Undisclosed
The 18-year-old is one of the hottest properties in Irish football. An all-action box-to-box midfielder, he is similar stylistically to fellow countryman and new teammate Jason Knight and arrives at Ashton Gate having played 35 games in a very successful season at St Pat’s. He is undoubtedly a long term signing, rather than acquired for instant impact, but one to keep a close eye on.
RATING: LOVE IT
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Luke Harris (AM) - [Fulham - Exeter City] - Loan
There are parallels with Jay Stansfield's move last season: Fulham sending a teenager they rate highly, who has already made his Premier League debut, to Exeter for his first loan. That successful connection will have helped, but such lofty comparisons might not; Harris, 18, just needs senior football, and thought he had it when Exeter made overtures in the summer that ultimately came to nothing.
The attacking midfielder, who made his senior Wales debut last autumn, takes up good goalscoring positions and has proven prolific at youth-team level – potentially useful, then, for the lowest scorers in League One.
RATING: LIKE IT
Ronan Coughlan (ST) - [Waterford - Fleetwood] - Undisclosed
The link between Fleetwood and Waterford continues, as yet another player takes the step from Ireland to the EFL. This time it is the turn of Ronan Coughlan, scorer of 35 goals in the Irish second tier last season.
That goalscoring output is a one-off compared to the rest of his career, and at the age of 27, it’s the first time he’s really caught form. It’s worth emphasising just how huge the gap in quality is between League One and the Irish First Division. With Stockley, Marriott and Tsimanga all on the books, Coughlan may need to be patient if he is to make an impact for the Cod Army.
RATING: ON THE FENCE
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Gwion Edwards (W) - [Unattached - Morecambe] - Free
For Morecambe, there's a clear need for bodies in wide, attacking areas, and not a lot of budget to work with. 30-year-old Edwards had a good seven-year stretch, mostly in League One, between 2014-15 and 2020-21, but has experienced a sharp decline in the last two seasons, compounded by injury, and hasn't been attached to a club this season until now. Versatile enough to play on both sides, Edwards used to be a decent dribbler with good shot volume, scoring at around a 1 in 5 rate. Can't knock the signing, but it's hard to know what level he will be at, physically.
RATING: ON THE FENCE
Conor Wilkinson (ST) - [Motherwell - Colchester] - Undisclosed
It’s fair to say Wilkinson is a scorer of great goals rather than a great scorer of goals. A player who occasionally shines, his move to Motherwell didn’t quite work out, scoring just three goals in 14 SPFL games. At the age of 28, he has failed to settle at one club at any point in his career, and whether or not ColU can be that club is up for debate. He’s the type of player who could thrive when playing in the right system and having a motivator to put an arm around him. Do Colchester have either of those things? We’re not so sure.
RATING: ON THE FENCE
Conor Carty (ST) - [Bolton - Doncaster] - Loan
Bustling 21-year-old Irish centre forward who impressed enough in a recent loan at St. Pat's Athletic to earn a contract extension with Bolton. Tireless work rate will endear him to Donny fans, but needs to add more goals to take his game to the next level.
RATING: LIKE IT
