Last weekend I looked at 8 players I believed EFL clubs should consider making moves for in January. That was in the aftermath of a potential move involving Kabongo Tshimanga moving to Championship side Birmingham City. This week I’ve considered 8 more players I deem good enough for the EFL.
James Vennings
Bromley midfielder James Vennings is only 22, and is often overlooked when the best midfielders in the league are spoken about. However, I think he is one of the most well rounded midfielders in the league, and his young age should make him an even more interesting proposition for EFL sides. Vennings currently plays in a wing back system, where he plays to the right of the midfield supporting the wing back, but he’s equally adept at playing in a more traditional 4 back system. He’s won 75.76% of his defensive duels this season, which is a huge amount, especially for a midfielder. He solid as a rock, but also has great positional awareness, and is able to drop deep and distribute from there. He is so good at passing from deep that he has the 2nd highest completion rate in the league when it comes to progressive passes; Vennings completes 91.89% of these types of passes. Well rounded, comfortable with the ball and without, and at just 22 Vennings had plenty of room to grow; it seems just a matter of time before he makes it into the Football League.
Macaulay Langstaff
This one is perhaps a little soon, but if Notts striker Langstaff continues to score at the rate he is it’s hard not to see at least some EFL interest come January. Langstaff has 9 goals in 7 games, and is only behind Erling Haaland in all of England in terms of goals, some accolade. And this isn’t a flash in the pan; Langstaff scored 28 league goals last season for Gateshead before earning himself a move to Meadow Lane, so the 25 year old clearly knows where the back of the net is. Langstaff is a classic poacher; the majority of his goals come in and around the 6 yard box, but he also has blistering pace, something which saw him play out wide at his previous club. Langstaff takes 4.11 shots per 90, 4th highest in the league, so it’s no coincidence the goals are going in. He would probably cost a lot, maybe over 10x the £50k Notts paid for him, but if the fees rumoured for Tshimanga are to be believed I think he is worth it; he’s just as good a finisher and I believe he offers more off the ball too.
Alex Reid
This might be a team specific entry into the list, as Reid is currently a Stockport County player, but the 6ft3 forward has really hit the ground running this season, and if Stockport are still struggling for goals come January they should look at recalling Reid. He scored a hattrick at the weekend, but also has 2 goals off the bench, including a stunning winner against Scunthorpe, and the 26 year old has shown all the right signs so far. In my opinion, he would be an upgrade on current County striker Kyle Wootton, who has scored just 1 goal since his move from Notts this summer. Wootton might offer more in terms of his overall game, but Reid is certainly the better goalscorer, and his pace and power could add a new dimension to their attack. If Stockport opt against recalling the 26 year old forward other EFL clubs should be sniffing around his services, and I think given a run of games he could score goals for fun in the league above.
Maziar Kouhyar
The first comment I received on the previous post was that this man should have been included in the list, and he very nearly made it onto the initial 8 man shortlist. The Afghan winger is a joy to watch, and he has been tearing it up for York City this season. Kouhyar scored in the NLN play off final last season, and like I spoke about in the previous list with Kouogun, perhaps the biggest compliment to the 24 year old is that he retains his place in a side that has been much changed due to numerous transfers. Kouhyar has the ability to play on either wing, and already has 4 assists already this season, 3rd most in the league. Kouhyar is extremely versatile too, and excels in any role Askey plays him in; York have tinkered with their system of late, meaning Kouhyar has played in a variety of roles, from defensive midfield through to the more familiar wing roles. An exciting player who looks a cut above this division, I think Kouhyar could be the subject of League One interest before long.
Jesse Debrah
Halifax were gutted of their stars last season, but one young prospect that remained was 21 year old central defender Debrah. He was in fact a whisker away from joining an EFL outfit, Huddersfield, but the deal fell through and, for now, Debrah remains, and despite Halifax struggling the young defender has excelled. He’s won 76.74% of his defensive duels, a huge number, showing how capable he is in defensive situations. He’s also won 66.2% of his aerial duels, and at 6ft2 Debrah should look to add goals to his game, seeing how dominant he is in the air. Debrah is the 12th most successful player in the air this season, and all this despite playing in a Halifax side who are still adapting to life without their boss Pete Wild. Debrah is also only 21, which is extremely young for a defender, and he has plenty of upside. Halifax have also shown they are willing to sell key players, so his move to the EFL is sure to come soon.
Cav Miley
Last time 2 Southend players featured in the list, but arguably their finest talent is central midfielder Miley, who joined from Eastleigh in the summer. Miley is an England C international, and is one of the older players in this list at 27. Miley plays 45.26 passes per 90, with an accuracy of 87.32% which is extremely impressive. 9.13 of these are progressive passes, and Miley is able to create from deep. He’s also won 64.79% of his defensive duels; by comparison Matty Palmer has only won 43.33% of his, so you can see how impressive that is. Miley is well rounded, and is an excellent midfielder, who’s skill set should allow him to make the step up to the EFL. He could be an interesting option, and he’s in his prime; I’m sure he would be open to a move either this January or next summer, as he has less time on his side than the other options on this list.
Nathan Ashmore
I said that if I was to include a keeper in this list it would be Halifax’s Sam Johnson, and whilst I still believe he is the best keeper in the division Boreham Wood’s Nathan Ashmore has certainly caused me plenty of doubts with his performances this season. Ashmore has a save percentage of 80.65%, a huge number, showing his qualities in net. He’s also kept 3 clean sheets this season, and has helped drag Boreham Wood back up the table after a shaky start. He’s surprisingly athletic, despite his size (Ashmore weighs 100kg) allowing him to make acrobatic saves. If an EFL club are in need of a new shot stopper I think they could do a lot worse than Wood’s Ashmore.
Ben Wynter
I think we all expected an EFL move for Wynter in the summer, so the fact Barnet were able to secure the 24 year old’s services was definitely a coup. Wynter has been part of a Barnet side that have defied expectations and still find themselves in a playoff spot. Wynter has been a crucial part of this effort, especially defensively. He may have only won 56.25% of his defensive duels, but he’s part of a defence who have kept 2 clean sheets, and the 24 year old also added a goal against Woking in an impressive 2-0 win. Wynter was rock solid at Torquay last season, and whilst the rest of that side departed for the EFL Wynter opted to remain in the National League, a decision that’s paid off so far. The only caveat to any potential move to the EFL is that it would probably have to be a southern side, as Wynter cited moving closer to home (London) was a big factor in his move to Barnet.
So there’s another 8 players I believe are ready for the step up to the EFL. As always, thank you if you’ve read this far! If this does well I’m planning on taking a look at players from the division below (National League North/South).
xN: Expected Nonsense 