Huddersfield Town have made no fewer than five signings in the space of 24 hours, the icing on the cake being the club record capture of Steve Mounie.
The Terriers have been one of the busiest clubs in the summer window as they look to ensure their stay in the top-flight is a prolonged one, and had already broken their transfer record twice before this week firstly for Laurent Depoitre and then to lure Aaron Mooy back from Manchester City.
And David Wagner has now broken the record for a third time, with Mounie arriving from Montpellier for a reported fee of £11million. The 22-year-old scored 14 goals in 32 league matches last term, and his new manager is confident he can transfer this form to the Premier League.
“He has a very exciting combination of attributes that makes his a very attractive proposition as a young striker,” he told the official club website. “He has real physical attributes that should be perfect for the Premier League, plus we have seen his talents as a football in his remarkable season in France.
“We have met and I know he is a great character. For a man of his young age, he already has great experience both in life and as a footballer from his time in France, playing in a high-quality Ligue 1. At just 22, he is only going to improve. Given what he is already capable of, that is very exciting.”
Last season was the Benin international’s breakthrough at the Stade de la Mosson, having spent the previous campaign on loan at Nice where he scored 11 goals in 32 Ligue 2 matches. He has signed a four-year contract with Huddersfield, just weeks after extending his deal at his previous club.
Just hours after confirming Mounie had joined, the Premier League new-boys announced another new arrival in the shape of Scott Malone. The left fullback enjoyed a fine debut season at Fulham last term, and impressed Wagner enough to use around £5million of his budget to prise him from the capital.
“Our fans will have seen in our games against Fulham last season what a good player he is,” said Wagner. “Scott is a good physical presence and is a very capable defender, plus he adds a lot going forward. He can setup goals for teammates and he can score them himself.”
Malone, who has signed a three-year contract, joined the Cottagers from Cardiff City in the summer of 2016 and made 36 appearances in the Championship last season, scoring six goals and assisting three more. The 6ft 2in player can also operate in midfield, so adds flexibility to Town’s squad.
These signings follow the arrivals of Derby County winger Tom Ince, who has joined for a fee which could rise to £10million. The 25-year-old is an exciting talent, and will feel this is his time to shine in the Premier League having failed to do so in the past for Hull City and Crystal Palace.
“He scores goals, creates them for others and is always a threat when he’s on the pitch,” Wagner said of Ince. “He has had a taste of the division for two short spells and he is desperate to show everyone that he belongs in the top division. I think he can be a big player for us.”
Midfielder Danny Williams, who played against Huddersfield in the playoff final last season, has signed a two-year contract with the Terriers upon the expiry of his deal at Reading. And Kasey Palmer is back for a second loan stint from Chelsea after impressing in last season’s promotion campaign.
