It’s been a busy summer for Huddersfield Town, welcoming nine new faces into the squad as they prepare for their debut Premier League season.
Eight of those deals were done in the space of a week with Town’s previous club record transfer fee of £1.8m for Christopher Schindler smashed an incredible SIX times in the process.
Here, the Examiner profiles all the new signings with Football Writer Blake Welton giving his assessment so far:
Laurent Depoitre (FC Porto) - £3.5m
Town’s first purchase, the 28-year-old signed a two-year deal at the John Smith’s Stadium with the club having the option of extending his contract by a year.
Blake’s Take: The forward had a sluggish start to pre-season but as it has gone on and he has gained fitness he has improved.
At SV Sandhausen he began to show his strength at holding off defenders while against Udinese he demonstrated he had a bit of pace for a big man as well.
Aaron Mooy (Man City) - £8m
Town’s player of the year last season penned a three-year contract at the club, with Town able to add an extra year. Mooy joined for an initial £8m fee, which could rise to £10m with add-ons.
Blake’s Take: This was the deal which signified the club were not in the top-flight just to make up the numbers. Alongside Jonathan Hogg, Mooy was integral to everything positive David Wagner’s side did last year.
Although Town fans have seen little of him this summer, due to his extended leave after Confederations Cup action with Australia, everyone knows what he is capable of.
Jonas Lossl (Mainz) - Loan
The Dane signed for the club on a season-long loan deal from Bundesliga side FSV Mainz with the club having an option to buy the 28-year-old after his loan spell.
Blake’s Take: A deal that came out the blue when it became apparent Town were not getting Liverpool FC’s Danny Ward back at the club.
Despite mixed reports from Germany last season, Lossl has impressed so far with his command of his area, distribution from the back and all-round ball-playing skills.
Tom Ince (Derby County) - £7.5m
After a week of speculation and an initial bid rejected by the Rams, Ince eventually signed a three-year deal at Huddersfield, with the option of a fourth.
Blake’s Take:Speaking after the Accrington Stanley friendly, Ince was fired up to prove the doubters wrong this season and has since gone on to score four in six pre-season games.
Early indications suggest he could end up not only being one of the signings of the summer but key to Town’s Premier League survival hopes.
Kasey Palmer (Chelsea) - Loan
The 20-year-old signed a new four-year deal at Chelsea before completing a season-long loan move back to Town less than 24 hours later.
Blake’s Take: The player shone for Town last season before a hamstring injury curtailed his campaign.
Naturally he has been eased back into action after such a lengthy spell out but, so far, has looked as if he has unfinished business after last term’s frustrations.
Danny Williams (Reading) - Free
The 28-year-old joined on a two-year deal after becoming a free agent when his contract at Reading FC elapsed earlier in the summer.
Blake’s Take: The midfielder was the stand-out player in the opening pre-season friendly at Accrington Stanley and, although he’s been credible ever since, it is still difficult to see him dislodge the Hogg-Mooy partnership if both are fully fit.
Steve Mounié (Montpellier) - £11.5m
After what seemed an eternity, the 22-year-old Benin international eventually signed a four-year contract from Ligue 1 side Montpellier.
Blake’s Take: The forward has looked every bit the club’s record signing, playing on the edge of the last defender’s shoulder and having a good eye for goal.
And at such a young age he can only get better – once again showing what astute business the club has done this summer with so many other silly prices going around.
Scott Malone (Fulham) - £3.5
The 26-year-old full-back put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the option of another year in a deal which could eventually rise to £5m.
Blake’s Take: After terrorising Town last season in the SkyBet Championship, this was a smart move to give Chris Lowe strong competition at left-back.
Although his summer has been a bit stop-start due to injury, Lowe is still arguably in front of Malone in the pecking order.
Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen (FC Copenhagen) - £3.5m
Town’s final signing of the transfer window so far came with the purchase of the Danish centre-back from FC Copenhagen, joining on a three-year deal.
Blake’s Take: Schindler is still undoubtedly Town’s first-choice centre-back but Zanka will put pressure on Michael Hefele for the second slot this season.
A physical player, bookings could be his downfall, while without Schindler alongside him against Stuttgart he struggled to maintain a defensive shape.