Veltman: Summer signings ready to shine

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Dutch defender happy with impact of new recruits.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-10-09T06:00+01:00

Stef Tzimas and Diego Gomez celebrate the Paraguay international scoring four goals at Barnsley. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Joel Veltman insists that the club’s summer signings will all be ready to impress at Premier League level after a period of bedding in.

While Max De Cuyper has been a first-team regular, Diego Coppola, Olivier Boscagli, Tommy Watson, Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas have had to be patient. But after seeing them at close quarters in training and in the League Cup, the experienced Dutch defender is looking forward to watching them in League action.

“They need time,” Veltman said. “Boscagli played really well against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, Coppola as well, he's doing amazing, but they're still young, especially Coppola, and they just need to wait for their chance, and if they get it, they need to grab it with two hands. Like the Greek guys as well, they were injured a bit, they had a tough pre-season.”

While Coppola and Boscagli play in the same defensive positions as Jan Paul van Hecke and skipper Lewis Dunk – two of the club’s most consistent performers – Tzimas and Kostoulas seem to be in a more open competition for attacking places. But, Joel says, the club has plenty of options there already.

Joel Veltman started in the 6-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“We still have Danny Welbeck, he scored two goals [against Chelsea], amazing goals, Diego [Gomez] can play there, Georginio Rutter played there as well, he did amazing, he has the ability, the quality to play there. They need to be patient and just show it when they get the minutes, I would say.”

Opportunities came their way in the 6-0 Carabao Cup away wins against Oxford United and Barnsley, which both helped raise spirits around the training ground, and were both – perhaps no coincidence – followed by Premier League victories. Watson scored his first Albion goal at Oxford and notched a hat-trick of assists at Barnsley.

“Any win lifts the mood. You can feel it in the dressing room, at the training ground, that winning feeling. So yeah, one hundred percent you will take that into the next game. Winning 6-0 away from home, there's nothing more they can do, right?"