It was imperative Huddersfield Town added quality to their squad for the Premier League season – and David Wagner has certainly delivered.

Seven players have been brought into the senior squad at the John Smith’s Stadium, with the head coach determined to ensure Town build strongly on what was their first appearance in the top flight in almost half a century.

While goalkeeper Joel Coleman (Shrewsbury) and midfielders Jack Payne (Bradford City), Regan Booty (Aldershot) and Rekeil Pyke (Wrexham) have gone out on loan, Town completed the permanent signings of loan men from last season, Jonas Lossl and Florent Hadergjonaj.

Wagner then added to the PPG Canalside options with signings from home and abroad.

So what qualities do the new arrivals bring?

The Premier League season

starts in

Terence Kongolo

The 24-year-old defender was a brilliant club record signing in June on a four-year contract.

After his performances on loan for Town during last season’s successful Premier League survival battle – he played 17 league and cup matches – Kongolo was top of the shopping list for most supporters when the transfer window opened.

Showing the quality that made him an £11.5m capture for AS Monaco from Feyenoord, Kongolo established himself as a fans favourite last season.

And he has continued to impress in Town’s pre-season fixtures.

Wagner said at the time of his arrival that Kongolo’s signing was a big statement for the club – and he was absolutely right, with some sources quoting the undisclosed transfer fee at £17.5m.

Regardless of the cash, Town have recruited a top-class player who represented the Netherlands in the World Cup finals and won the Dutch League with Feyenoord.

He can also play with equal effect at both centre-back and left back and, with his height, can be a threat at set pieces.

Perhaps just as importantly, Kongolo is a popular man in the Town dressing room and, as chairman Dean Hoyle has joked, anyone who would leave Monaco for Huddersfield having already experienced Huddersfield must be one hell of a guy!

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Ramadan Sobhi of Huddersfield Town and Kenny Tete of Olympique Lyonnais in action during a pre-season friendly match between Huddersfield Town and Olympique Lyonnais at John Smith's Stadium on July 25, 2018 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Ramadan Sobhi

Came away from Egypt’s pre-World Cup training camp to sign for Town in a £5.7m deal from relegated Stoke City – and could become a big hit at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Having pace, strength and skill, he has all the qualities Wagner is after in his widemen, but a three-year contract provides the 21-year-old with a massive opportunity to stamp himself on the biggest stage of all.

He made 41 appearances for Stoke after joining from Al Ahly in July 2016, scoring twice, but Town have the option of extending his deal for another 12 months after 2021 and clearly expect him to make a huge impact in blue and white stripes.

Off the field, Ramadan is already lifting the club profile. He has 4.4million Instagram followers compared with the club’s 88,000, and the YouTube highlights of Town’s 3-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais, which was his home debut, were watched 110,000 times in Egypt compared with 10,000 times here.

Add to that Ramadan’s 1.55million followers on Twitter (the club have 153,000) and no wonder Sean Jarvis and his commercial team are licking their lips.

However, if he can develop and thrive, as Wagner believes he can in the Town set-up, then the next few years could be extremely exciting for Ramadan in the Premier League.

Ben Hamer

While Jonas Lossl played every Premier League match in goal for Town last season and became a firm favourite among supporters as the club stayed up, the lack of an established talent to really push him for his place became apparent.

Wagner was keen to address that situation in this transfer window and his move for Hamer, who was released after four years with Leicester City, is a master stroke.

The 30-year-old has the right balance of experience and potentially excellent years ahead of him to make him a brilliant acquisition.

A brilliant shot-stopper, his handling and positional sense are rock solid and he’s extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet – an essential at top level these days and certainly a key for the head coach.

Hamer has experience of winning – he helped Brentford to the League II title while on loan from Reading in 2008-09 and then, after joining Charlton, helped Chris Powell take them to the League I honours – and he’s now looking for an extended run of matches in the Premier League.

He’s certainly looked the part since joining Town and if he pushes Lossl to even greater heights on the back of that, whoever gets the starting jersey it has to be great news for the team.

Erik Durm in action for Borussia Dortmund during a Champions League clash against Benfica back in 2017.
Erik Durm in action for Borussia Dortmund during a Champions League clash against Benfica back in 2017.

Erik Durm

As Wagner made the point, it’s not often you get the chance to sign a World Cup winner for a club like Town, so there is absolutely no doubt about the full back’s quality.

Injuries over the last few seasons have hampered the 26-year-old’s impact with Borussia Dortmund, but Wagner knows the player as well as anyone and is delighted to have got him on a one-year deal with the option of a further year.

That’s a great bit of business because it’s a no-risk policy from the club if Durm – heaven forbid – should suffer more injury woe.

If not, then the man with seven caps for Germany has the defensive strength allied to pace and crossing ability to be a real asset to Town in the top flight.

That’s why Wagner was happy to comment Durm has all the qualities needed to be a great success in the club’s Terry Identity.

Stamina and speed are great platforms and Wagner knows he has a player with a tremendous team work ethic too, to what’s to lose?

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Juninho Bacuna

It was really unfortunate for the 20-year-old to get injured in Town’s first pre-season outing of the season at Bury, because it prevented him getting a full pre-season under his belt.

But the central midfield signing from FC Groningen is back now and the fact he was brought in on a three-year contract with the option of another year shows how highly Wagner rates him.

Despite his age, Bacuna has already played over 80 times in the Dutch top flight, featured in the Europa League and played for the Netherlands at Under 21 level.

Bacuna has dynamic quality and, even though he is much younger, he definitely provides a solid option for Town following the retirement of Dean Whitehead at the end of last season.

Wagner knows he has an exciting talent to develop, given he says the Groningen-born player has the aggression of a defensive midfielder and the skills and mobility of an offensive midfielder.

Town’s fans will certainly watch his development with interest.

Adama Diakhaby

At 22, the French Under 21 international Diakhaby has huge potential as he makes his move to the Premier League with Town.

He is a genuine flier who can play on either flank and would also be an option up front, along with Elias Kachunga, should Town ever find themselves without Steve Mounie or Laurent Depoitre.

Diakhaby has put pen to paper on a three-year deal, with the club having the option to extend it by a further 12 months, and he’ll be hoping to cement a first-team place, especially after making only 10 Ligue 1 starts for AS Monaco last season.

The previous campaign for Rennes, he was very impressive, and the left-footed import is just the sort of pacy acquisition Wagner loves to work with.

It’s the direct running of the Ajaccio-born player which particularly excites Wagner, along with his comfort in possession of the ball, and being over 6ft tall makes him an awkward proposition for defenders.

Definitely one to watch.

Isaac Mbenza signs for Huddersfield Town

Isaac Mbenza

Another signing that will improve Town's attacking options is that of former Montpellier forward Mbenza.

The versatile midfielder – who scored 10 goals in 43 appearances last season for Montpellier in Ligue 1 – will tick a lot of boxes for Town and will provide another lift ahead of the big Premier League kick-off against Chelsea.

The Belgian Under 21 international can shoot from distance and has good pace, adding to Town's counter-attacking options.

Mbenza also gives Town another option in the wide positions, an area in which they struggled last season.

The forward signed on deadline day and could take time to get up to match fitness.