Whilst transfer deadline day mainly centred on the blockbuster signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Manchester United, plenty of deals lower down the footballing pyramid went under the radar.
EFL clubs were busy all the way to the deadline, with a high number of moves being made in the Championship, League One and League Two.
Plenty of tough decisions had to be made when it came to outgoings as well. Clubs must submit their 25-man squads for the season by this Friday.
Let’s take a look at four deadline day signings made by EFL clubs that will be ones to keep an eye out for this season:
Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City)
Signed as a free agent after being released by Celtic earlier in the summer, Olivier Ntcham was one of three players to move to Swansea on deadline day.
It has been a tumultuous 12 months for the French midfielder. Having helped Celtic to three consecutive trebles, he moved to Marseille on loan in January.
The move directly resulted in the resignation of Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas, before the club dismissed him later in the same day.
Now back in England for the first time since leaving Manchester City in 2017, the goalscoring midfielder has a point to prove – and will certainly be one to watch this season.
Alistair McCann (Preston North End)
So late was a deal agreed to bring highly-rated St Johnstone midfielder Alistair McCann to Preston North End that the move was reportedly completed just five seconds before the end of the deadline.
North End have reportedly paid a seven-figure fee for the 21-year-old, who has heavily impressed both at home and in European competition.
St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown has stated that, with add-ons, the fee will “surpass the value of £1.75 million“.
The midfielder – a Northern Ireland international – has already made 84 league appearances at senior level, as well as featuring in all four of St Johnstone’s European games this season.
PNE head coach Frankie McAvoy called McCann “one of the best young players in Scotland“.
Mahlon Romeo (Portsmouth)
Having made over 200 appearances for Millwall since signing in 2015, attacking full-back Mahlon Romeo joined Portsmouth on loan on deadline day.
The 25-year-old played a key part in Millwall’s promotion to the Championship in 2016, and has become known for his pace and ability to drive forward and create.
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley dubbed the move “a brilliant signing” and called Romeo “incredibly dynamic”.
Saido Berahino (Sheffield Wednesday)
Saido Berahino joined high-flying Sheffield Wednesday on deadline day after a spell with Belgian side Zulte Waregem.
The striker burst on to the scene with West Bromwich Albion back in 2013, and went on to score 14 Premier League goals in the 2014/15 season.
That form sparked interest from Tottenham Hotspur. The Baggies rejected four bids, including one on deadline day, which led Berahino to claim on Twitter that he would never play for the club again under then chairman Jeremy Peace.
Since then, Berahino has never quite been able to hit the heights of that 14-goal season. A move to Stoke yielded just three league goals in three seasons.
He then made the move to Belgium, where he recaptured some form by scoring six goals in 18 appearances in his first season with Zulte Waregem.
Now back in England, it will be intriguing to see how the forward, now aged 28, gets on with Wednesday.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
