Championship transfer news & Rumours (Jun 2023)

In the following article, you can read through the latest English Championship transfer news and rumours. We have gathered the most intriguing transfer rumors and information regarding England's second tier of football in one place, and you can now inform yourself about every club's current state.

Birmingham: A possible future move

Chelsea is bringing up yet another defender of their own youth academy graduates – Jake Clarke-Salter. The 22-year-old spent last season loaned out to Birmingham, and the fans have become pretty happy with his performances throughout the campaign. The board was also glad with Salter's results and wanted to either buy or loan him once more. However, the London Blues have their own plans for the youngster. High hopes are set for the defender, and Chelsea won't agree to lose ownership of him and would instead send him out on loan, but to a bigger league than the Championship. Stade Brest was linked with the youngster, but a move didn't see the light. On England's deadline day, Clarke-Salter returned to Birmingham for the remainder of the season, again on loan.

Reuniting with fellow Basque.

Through signing ex-Liverpool man Mikel San Jose, Aitor Karanka has now a Basque player in his defense line who's very close to his ideas. San Jose has also amassed a serious amount of experience with his 329 outings in La Liga. He is also no stranger to English football, having played three seasons for Liverpool's Reserve Team in the Premier League, even winning the Reserve title in 2007/2008. The Spaniard surely has what to contribute to Karanka’s squad in the Championship fight for promotion.

Blackburn Rovers: Several clubs miss out on Yannick Bolasie

The fallen out-of-favor winger hasn't played for the club that owns him – Everton for over two years now. Bolasie has been keeping fit while playing out on loan with Aston Villa, Anderlecht, and, most recently, Sporting. His contract with the Portuguese side expired in the summer, and he has since been getting a lot of transfer offers.

Amongst Middlesbrough and Millwall, Blackburn was also rumored to be making arrangements with the winger. Up to the last minute of the recent domestic transfer window, Bolasie's new club was unknown, and it was actually Boro who was believed to be the closest to his signature. However, all negotiations fell through, and the Frenchmen remained at Goodison Park.

Barry Douglas robbed of Premier League playtime.

Leeds United's defender has been left out of the Premier League once again. Left-back Douglas was loaned out to Blackburn after contributing to the Whites' promotion battle. Unfortunately for him, his campaign was injury-ridden, and he saw only a handful of outings, thus resulting in a declining form. This is the reason why Bielsa has looked to offload the defender. The gossip was that Rovers would've preferred buying rather than loaning the player after being pretty conservative in the summer transfer window. After all, a season-long loan deal was agreed upon, and Douglas is set to leave another team after helping to promote it. The same thing happened when he played with Wolverhampton's kit in 2018.

Bournemouth: Relying on its current lineup

Jason Tindall is confident that his squad is capable of ranking high in the Championship, even after parting ways with key players like Nathan Ake and Callum Willson. Another fact that proves Tindall's stand is the €0 spent on new transfers. Yup, that's right, during the summer, the Cherries didn't buy a single player. This makes them able to afford pretty much every Championship-suitable player in January.

Not spending money doesn't mean that the club didn't want to do so. They were rumored to have entered an over €1 Million bid for Birmingham's Gary Gardner, but Aitor Karanka wasn't keen on letting the 28-year-old leave. Gardner would've acted as a replacement for Harry Arter, who Bournemouth loaned out to fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately for Tindall and company, the move never saw the light, with the Blues keeping ownership of the midfielder.

Tracking down a Barcelona prospect

Another player gossiped to have caught the Cherries’ eye is Barcelona’s youngster Monchu. He has spent most of his career with the Catalans' B-team and was promoted to the senior squad in the summer. With a versatile and creative play style, it was evident that the midfielder's skills had surpassed the third tier of Spanish football in which he was playing.

Alongside Bournemouth Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion were also monitoring the situation surrounding the 20-year-old. However, Ronald Koeman seemed to have his own plans for the prospect and probably is looking to include him in his lineup. He opted for Monchu to stay in Spain and gather experience there, sending him on loan with Girona FC.

Barnsley: Liverpool player joining the Tykes

Barnsley’s board had reportedly eyed up a Liverpool player in the face of youngster Herbie Kane. The midfielder has only worn the Reds' kit twice before being rumored with leaving the club. Unfortunately for him, seeing playtime at Anfield would’ve been extremely hard. That's why Kane made the decision to move on. Barnsley was glad to get a hold of the 22-year-old for a transfer fee believed to be around €1.25 Million.

Kane played a full season with Doncaster Rovers, during which he proved his worth. His half a season-long loan with Hull city was marked by just nine appearances during which the midfielder managed to find the net twice. This record led Hull City to try and sign him permanently, but it was Barnsley who won the race.

Bidding for another Doncaster Rovers’ man

During his time at Doncaster, Herbie Kane attracted the Tykes' attention, which seemingly has led them also to spot the team's captain. Barnsley made a bid in October for Ben Whiteman, who has been honored with wearing the yellow armband.

After also holding off interest for Whiteman during the last year's summer transfer window, Doncaster has now exclaimed that they won't agree to a new offer. In 2019 Hull City had put over €1 Million on the table, which by the Championship's standards is a substantial amount, but it wasn't enough to persuade Doncaster to hand over their main man. Similarly, this year Barnsley has made an offer estimated to be worth over seven digits.

Brentford: Said Benrahma finally finishes move to West Ham United

The Hammers found it incredibly frustrating to work out an agreement for Benrahma and finally managed to do it on deadline day. With 17 goals in the last campaign, the Algerian impressed the Premier League side and forced them to pursue his signature. However, his contract is a temporary one with a yearlong length. Brentford agreed to loan their prominent figure and are confident that they can secure promotion without him. The loan has a further option, which could see the move becoming permanent.

Another top-flight side interested in Bees' player

No other than Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing goalkeeper David Raya. Since joining from Blackburn Rovers in the past year, he has become Brentford’s first choice goalie, appearing in every single one league game during the 2019/2020 campaign. This makes a total of 46 outings in which Raya conceded only 38 goals. This has led the Gunnars to try and sign the 25-year-old.

Raya himself is open to a move to the Emirates, but Thomas Frank and the board wouldn’t let him leave easily. They demanded that he can become Arsenal’s property only if they meet the €10 Million asking price. Another requirement that the Bees have is that Gunnars let the Spaniard return to Brentford for the remainder of the current season. Arteta was looking to secure a second-choice goalkeeper for the campaign, and this condition put Arsenal’s interest off.

Bristol City: Premier League side’s player rumored to be linked with a Bristol City transfer

Property of Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips has been wanted by several Championship clubs, with Swansea and Bristol reportedly leading the race. The 23-year-old gathered attention after an impressive loan spell with VfB Stuttgart, contributing heavily to their promotion to the Bundesliga. The defender recorded 19 league appearances and an additional three outings in DFB Pokal match-ups. VfB was gossiped to have wanted to keep the Reds' player but couldn't arrange a permanent deal.

Phillips has now returned to his homeland and was believed that he would be loaned out to gather experience in England's lower tiers of football. Bristol, Swansea, Reading, and Nottingham Forest were all keen on signing him, but he remained at Anfield at the end of the deadline day. It's highly unlikely that he will receive any playtime in Klopp's squad, making the decision to stay raise a lot of questions.

Plymouth Argyle wanted to re-sign him.

Bristol City’s young prospect Tyreeq Bakinson was prominently used throughout the second half of the 2019/2020 season. The same campaign that saw Plymouth Argyle get promoted to League One. Bakinson was signed by the Pilgrims at the beginning of the current year, with the arrangement spanning until the end of the season.

The now Tier 3 side was keen on getting a hold of the 22-year-old's services once again, but Bristol felt that his time on the road was over and preferred to keep him at the club. He has since been featured in every Championship match that the Robins have played so far.

Cardiff City: Cardiff has laid eyes on fellow-Championship side Barnsley pair

Entering the final week of the domestic transfer window, rumors linked Cardiff City with Cauley Woodrow and Alex Mowatt. Reportedly, Neil Harris was looking to sign the pair from Barnsley, naming them main targets for the club nearing deadline day. Cauley Woodrow is wanted for the sheer amount of attacking threat that he will bring to City. He is a complete forward with a vast amount of experience when it comes to the Championship. His arrival at Cardiff City Stadium would've significantly bolstered Harris' options upfront.

Mowatt's name also appeared in gossip connected with Cardiff. The midfielder is Woodrow's teammate but also captain at Barnsley. However, the Tykes' fans have grown fond of Mowatt and will be outraged if he departs in the current season. Furthermore, he will leave a gap in the lineup that won't be quickly filled back. Adam Murray will have first to find a replacement before he can even consider parting ways with Mowatt.

Another forward player is related to Cardiff in recent transfer news.

Newly promoted to the Premier League side, West Brom's striker Charlie Austin had also attracted Cardiff's interest. The Bluebirds identified that Austin would struggle to find regular playtime in the top-flight. Reportedly Harris had inquired the Hawthorns about letting them sign the out-of-favor forward on a yearlong loan deal, but they didn't agree to let him go.

Coventry City: Two players’ rumored St Andrew’s exit

Dutch striker Gervane Kastaneer has failed to impress during the last campaign. Despite dominating in the 3rd tier and losing only 3 out of 34 games, the forward contributed to Coventry's promotion with just a single goal in 10 appearances. Paired with gossiped interest from his homeland Kastaneer’s exit may be on the horizon. He traveled to the Netherlands for a training session with a club that remained undisclosed, but for unknown reasons, a move never followed through. Perhaps business will be done in January.

Due to financial reasons, Coventry City had an uncertain domestic transfer deadline day. Fan-favourite Max Biamou was linked with departing the Sky Blues for a Premier League side. A deal of this caliber would’ve definitely sorted out all money-related problems of the club. However, balancing out the finances has been left out for the January window with Biamou staying put.

The board failed to sign back a prominent promotion figure.

Bristol City’s midfielder Liam Walsh contributed to the 1st League One place that the club was ranked at. The Sky Blues' fans were keen on seeing Walsh play for their team once again. The same can be said for Robinson, who has become attached to the midfielder and wanted to skip on the struggle of finding a replacement for him.

However, Bristol City didn’t let Walsh go for another season. This seemed like a questionable move, especially after the Robins haven't used him once since the beginning of the campaign. If Walsh isn't provided with opportunities to play in the Championship, he might seek his exit soon.

Derby County: Derby's youth academy product is sparking interest

Current Championship title holders Leeds United have inquired the Rams for their 19-year-old midfielder Louie Sibley. The English U19 International has already spent ten years with Derby's youth system and recently won his promotion to the club's senior team. Marco Bielsa has been more than eager to sign the young prospect in order to reinforce his defensive options. However, the over €15 Million price tag set for the youngster acted as a deterrent, and Leeds ended their Sibley pursuit.

Targeting West Bromwich Albion striker

Ex-Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney was looking to find company in the attacking third of the pitch during the transfer window's closing moments. His colleagues Christ Martin and Martyn Waghorn are both unavailable as the first one was sold, and the latter has picked up an injury. This led the Rams on the pursuit of an attacking reinforcement. The quickly changing factors shed light on West Brom's forward Charlie Austin, and he has been linked with a move to the Pride Park Stadium ever since.

However, things didn't go as planned as the Baggies were forced to deal with an injury of one of their own players. Robson-Kanu's broken arm has undergone surgery and is looking to recover quickly. This injury raised Austin's opportunity for playtime with the newly-promoted Premier League squad, and he decided to remain with his current club for the 2020/2021 campaign.

Huddersfield: Unable to secure a striker

The main goal for the Terriers was to attract Rolando Aarons, who is owned by Newcastle United. Aarons' name suddenly appeared in the closing days of the deadline season, but the rumor of him joining the Yorkshire club disappeared even faster. Instead, he opted for a loan move to Scottish side Motherwell. Being unable to reach Newcastle’s level of play, he may soon be dropped out of the squad, and Corbéran will look to make a follow-up proposal in the future.

The only options left in front of Huddersfield are free agents.

Deadline day hit recently, and the Terriers remained silent during it. Now their only opportunity to bolster their attacking formation is to reach out to players who are out of contract. Such a striker is Diafra Sakho. He most recently played eight matches for Neuchâtel Xamax but could not score in any of them, so his departure followed. Sakho is now a free agent and a possibility for Huddersfield.

Ex-Sunderland winger Duncan Watmore is another option that Corbéran has. Watmore saw the fall of Sunderland all the way to League One after joining him while they were still a consistent Premier League side. During the summer, he became a free agent after not extending his contract with the Black Cats. Jermain Defoe has previously compared him to star player Gareth Bale and recent transfer news gossip that he will find his place with the Terriers.

Luton Town: Racing with newly-promoted Wycombe Wanderers for the signature of a free agent

Since he never got the chance to sign a contract extension with Birmingham City during the summer, Jacques Maghoma became a free agent on the lookout for a new team. The 32-year-old ex-Tottenham Hotspurs player graduated from their academy and had a season-long stay with the senior club. He was later offloaded to Burton Albion and had also spent two years with Sheffield Wednesday before he joined Birmingham City in 2015. The midfielder is one of the most experienced players in the 2nd tier of English football but has fallen out of favor with the Blues.

As a free agent, he has aspired several sides' interest in himself. With the transfer window now closed, the only possibility to reinforce ones' lineup is through attracting players who are out of contract. Bearing in mind that financial possibilities of Championship clubs are limited, acquiring a proven footballer with virtually a €0 fee is considered a blessing. Wycombe Wanderers, alongside Luton, have inquired Maghoma offering him a contract. Details around the deals are yet to be finalized, and we are going to see which side the midfielder decides to join.

Completed loan deal for Leicester midfielder

The rumor had it that Nathan Jones was extremely keen on signing Leicester City's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. On deadline day, his arrival at Kenilworth Road was officially confirmed, but it was a loan deal rather than a permanent transfer as it was previously believed. The Hatters found it nearly impossible to make an offer that sounds tempting to the Foxes. Therefore the 22-year-old will spend only a single season with Luton.

Middlesbrough: Targeting PSV Eindhoven’s prominent goalkeeper

Neil Warnock means business, and he has shown it through his interest in Jeroen Zoet. The Dutch keeper spent 14 years with PSV coming out of their proven youth academy. Furthermore, Zoet has never played a game of professional football for a club from the Netherlands. It took him five years between 2008 and 2013 before establishing himself as a first-choice goalie. He has since amassed 260 appearances in 7 years since then for the Peasants and has managed to impress several sides across Europe.

Boro was one of them, and they pushed to sign Zoet, naming him as one of their main targets during the 2020 summer transfer window. It was widely believed that he would be the solution to the goalkeeping saga that was going on in the Riverside Stadium. Dejan Stojanovic and Aynsley Pears were the men between the sticks in recent times, but with the latter's departure for Blackburn, Warnock had to act quickly. Unfortunately for Middlesbrough, the Dutch keeper preferred playing in a top-flight league and ended up joining Serie A Spezia.

Facing a striker dilemma as well.

Everton forward Yannick Bolasie was rumored to be on the verge of joining Boro with other Championship sides were also gossiped to have an interest. Middlesbrough was always the favorite with boss Neil Warnock having worked with Bolasie in the past at Crystal Palace. With the club desperately needing a fourth striker to be settled until January, it all came down to deadline day. The news that Bolasie's move won't see the light was a real frustration for Boro.

Millwall: League One side hoping to land Ben Thompson’s signature

Midfielder Ben Thompson has had a somewhat lackluster stay at Millwall in the last couple of years. He is now regarded as a substitution rather than a regular first-team starter. At the beginning of the 2018/2019 campaign, the Lions had offloaded Thompson to League One squad Portsmouth. They later regretted the decision and saw themselves forced to shorten the midfielder's loan, recalling him in January. With his 23 appearances in just half a season for Pompey, he managed to contribute to the near-won promotion to the Championship heavily.

Portsmouth can't forget what the Englishman had done for the club and were super keen on getting a hold of him for another campaign. Combined with the fact that he isn't any more a prominent figure in the Lions' starting lineup, his rumored transfer seemed possible. It can be that business will happen in January if Thompson doesn't find regular playtime under Gary Rowett.

Yannick Bolasie remains at Goodison Park.

Millwall was yet another side to have an interest in signing the Evertonian. Several reports had gossiped about Bolasie's Everton departure, but one thing was always different – the direction the Frenchman was rumored to be headed to. Championship sides Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, and Millwall were all keen on attracting the winger.

The 31-year-old hasn't put on the Toffees' kit in 2 years now and was loaned out to Aston Villa, Anderlecht, and most recently Sporting. Despite everything suggesting Bolasie's exit, Everton failed to offload the player and will continue paying his salary at least to January.

Norwich: Numerous Canaries' players are wanted all over Europe

Even though their Premier League run wasn't at all what they hoped for, quite a few of Norwich's footballers caught the eye of elite European clubs. Interest is mainly coming from the Spanish Primera Division with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Valencia, all inquiring the Championship side. Not only them but also Bayern Munich and recently-promoted Leeds United are also trying to make a deal.

La Liga and Bundesliga grands Barcelona and Bayern are both looking to get a hold of full-back Max Aarons. During the summer, it was reported that the 20-year-old is on the verge of leaving the club following relegation. After the transfer window closed, he is still owned by the Canaries.

Barcelona saw two of their loan bids get turned down because Aarons insisted on adding an obligating buy-out clause. With the Catalan club not interested in a permanent transfer for the valued at €22 Million defender, they pulled out of the negotiations.

Bayern Munich considered buying the youngster but didn't follow through with an official bid. Aarons' future with the Canaries is uncertain, and his exit is coming, especially if the team isn't promoted at the end of the season.

Atletico and Valencia had entered the race for winger Emiliano Buendia. Joining Norwich from Getafe, he is no stranger to the La Liga, and both clubs want to make his return to Spain a fact. The Argentinian was impressed during the lackluster relegation season with seven assists and a goal.

Nottingham Forest: Getting stacked on defenders

After Aston Villa showed a continuous interest in right-back Matty Cash, he indeed cashed for his former club, Nottingham Forest. The €15.75 Million deal for him definitely brought in a nice amount of money in the Championship side's account. Because of this, they have been able to go on a shopping spree buying four new players and still having over €6 Million to work with. It seems that Forest's obsession is having defense options because, during the summer transfer window, they attracted seven defensive players.

The club’s most expensive signing was 19-year-old center-back Loïc Mbe Soh, for who they paid €5 Million to PSG. Mbe Soh is regarded as one of France's future stars. With just three appearances for Thomas Tuchel's side, he was forced to seek a move elsewhere to find playtime and gather experience. Nottingham made a smart move on their behalf, buying the player while he is still affordable. The 19-year-old's value will skyrocket in the next two to three years, and through selling him, the Tricky Trees will be able to fund their Premier League return.

Trying to loan a winger near the end of the transfer window.

Being stacked on defensive options, Hughton had to find forward players to bolster the lineup's attacking potential. Liverpool's product Harry Wilson was rumored to be joining a long line of clubs. Including Nottingham, Derby County, and Cardiff. In the end, though, Wilson signed with Cardiff, and the Reds had to move on.

Preston North End: Doing business with the Scottish giant Rangers

A Rangers player that Alex Neil wanted to get a hold of is Jordan Jones. The Lilywhites have been tracking the winger even before he completed his move to the Gers from Kilmarnock. Back then, in 2017, Neil had just become the coach of the Championship side, and it was gossiped that Jones would be one of his first signings. However, the then 22-year-old preferred to join the bigger club – Rangers.

Now the soon to be 26-year-old player has also made Preston reach out to him. With Jones only allowed seven league outings in the last season, it seems that Steven Gerrard doesn't mind offloading the winger. However, he will look to get the maximum out of the deal, having eyed up one of Preston's main men – Daniel Johnson. The attacking midfielder has become a prominent figure in Neil's squad with over 200 appearances. The transfer deadline day cut negotiations short, and we can expect a swap deal coming along in January.

Holding on to a key player

With the domestic transfer window coming to an end, both Sheffield United and West Ham United rushed to sign Ben Davies. And no, it's not the Spurs' Ben Davies we are talking about. Benjamin Keith Davies has been at Preston for seven years but just recently became a regular starter. The Blades and the Hammers have spotted his skills and wanted to get a hold of him before the window ends. However, this task was deemed impossible by the €10 Million price tag that was put on the defender.

Queens Park Rangers: Crystal Palace transfer link

Eberechi Eze's departure from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium has been one of Rangers' biggest deals in recent years as it netted them nearly €18 Million. Eze was praised for his last season performance, which secured him a move to the Premier League with Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace. The experienced manager who has over 40 years as a coach was fascinated by the attacking-midfielder and rushed to land his signature.

Inspired by his now ex-teammate's move was Bright Osayi-Samuel, who stalled on signing a contract extension with QPR in the hopes of Palace bidding for him too. The Nigerian is impatient about making his top-flight debut after playing at all other tiers panning down to the 4th level of English football. This is also evident through the negotiations held with Belgian side Club Brugge. Brugge had made a bid for the midfielder, which was accepted by the Rs, only to be turned down by Osayi-Samuel himself. Hodgson never followed Palace’s rumored interest in the 22-year-old with a bid, so he remained across London.

Trying to Offload goalkeepers.

The Superhoops never received an offer for any of the two goalies that they had put up for sale. Both Joe Lumley and Liam Kelly are currently on the ropes, as their place in QPR is uncertain. Coach Mark Warburton was looking to get rid of at least one of the unwanted keepers, but without any interested sides, it will remain for the January transfer window.

Reading: Reports link Sporting Lisbon’s striker with the Royals.

Scouting reports shed light on Pedro Mendes, who Veljko Paunovic was rumored to like and felt that he would be suitable for Reading's offensive lineup. Sporting CP has also agreed to let him go out on loan with the option to buy in the Championship. Segunda Division side Almeria was reported to be extremely close to the youngster's signature at the time in which the Royals joined the race. Unfortunately for the English club, Mendes' arrival fell through as he abruptly joined the Segunda team.

Arsenal eyeing Reading’s player, but they won’t let him go cheap.

The 18-year-old prospect is a product of both Chelsea and Reading's youth academies. Michael Olise has had a magnificent start to the campaign, scoring once and providing two assists to his teammates. The winger has been rumored to be on numerous Premier League sides buy list. The Royals recognized that they need him in the current campaign and refused to accept any offers made. He is currently valued at less than €5 Million, but after hearing that a club like Arsenal is monitoring the player, Reading’s fans have gone on a frenzied rant on different social media. Supporters exclaimed that the board shouldn't let Olise go for less than €30 Million, some even stating that his exit should cost more than €50 Million.

Rotherham United: Unfortunate injury for the player kept him at the club.

One of Rotherham United’s main man in the hard-fought promotion last year was Chieo Ogbene. According to reports, the winger has suffered a devastating knee injury during the club's training sessions and has already undergone an operation. Being a fan favorite, the supporters will miss seeing him play for the next few months.

The good part of the whole ordeal was that through this injury, the last chances for Ogbene to get bought in the last days of the domestic transfer window rapidly faded away. The player has his focus on recovering as soon as possible, and the once interested in the 23-year-old clubs pulled out from a deal. West Brom was looking to sign the Nigerian, but he has his own plans with Rotherham and is keen on helping them in the Championship journey.

Another player mentioned alongside an injury.

Rotherham’s defender Curtis Tilt also underwent an operation in the summer and is now fully recovered. Signed just last January, he has only had the opportunity to make a single appearance for Paul Warne's side. It wasn't only due to the injury that he didn't see playtime; it was because the coach didn't believe he is ready to start. Tilt was loaned to Wigan Athletic and will look to get back in form with them. The deal is only half-a-season long and will see the defender return to Rotherham in January.

Sheffield Wednesday: The pursuit of a new striker ends on deadline day

Throughout the majority of the summer, The Owls' boss Garry Monk had targeted the signing of Kenneth Zohore from West Bromwich Albion. The Baggies have turned out to be a tough side to negotiate with. With the Danish proving nearly impossible to be signed and the deadline day closing in, Sheffield Wednesday was forced to search for another attacking option.

They quickly shifted their attention towards Derby County's Jack Marriott, who has been a prominent figure in his two seasons with The Rams scoring 17 times during that time. Although they managed to sign Marriott on deadline day, their goal wasn't reached. The Championship proven forward signed a yearlong loan deal but will later return to Derby. In the next summer, Sheffield Wednesday will have to look for another player.

Free-agent youngster joins Sheffield Wednesday on trial.

20-year-old Okera Simmonds is rumored to have become a part of the Yorkshire football team's structures. Although no official information has surfaced yet, the striker was part of the Owls' U23 lineup in a recent Birmingham match. Reportedly he will start out as a youth squad player before being allowed to play for the senior team. Simmonds has been a free agent since he departed from Accrington Stanley at the beginning of the year.

Garry Monk's team has also been linked with the possible arrival of Chelsea's Jake Clarke-Salter. The defender already has spent two and a half seasons in the Championship and is no stranger to England's second tier of football. Despite his gossiped move, he preferred returning to Birmingham with which he spent the last campaign.

Stoke City: Birmingham wants the Potters' defender

The latest transfer news claimed that Blues' boss Aitor Karanka set Stoke's center-back as the primary target nearing the end of the domestic transfer window. Birmingham tried making a move for Danny Batth but faced stern opposition in the face of coach O'Neill's own plans. The experienced defender is highly regarded by the Potters' fans and is a central figure in the squad's defensive lineup. Having over 11 years of experience at different English football tiers under his belt, Batth has a lot to contribute to the team.

Furthermore, the 30-year-old feels at home at the bet365 Stadium, and he himself isn't interested in departing. In him, Karanka saw somewhat of a solution to the defensive struggles that the Blues have been enduring in recent years.

Stoke failing to get a hold of one of their main targets.

Randell Williams was sold from Watford to Exeter City in 2019 after being deemed not on a Premier League level of play. Since then, he has plied his trade in the 4th tier of English football – League Two. His performance has been gathering some attention after scoring five goals and assisting 14 times in 37 league appearances. Stoke has picked up on the 23-year-old's form, and he had become the main target for O'Neill during the summer.

Despite the gossip that the youngster is keen on joining the Championship, the move fell through on deadline day. If Williams continues netting the same results, he will be on the radar for numerous sides, not only Stoke.

Swansea: The club's transfer tactics are pretty noticeable

Swansea's board and management have done a spectacular job during the transfer window doing their business in a brainy fashion. Cooper is confident in relying on young prospects, both the club's own products, but also attracting numerous starlets on loan.

Just take a look at the sides that they have drawn talent from – Manchester City, Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton, and Newcastle United. Their oldest loanee is at 23, and that's Magpies' goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

Transfer news linked with other youngsters.

Even after 21 new players arrived at Liberty Stadium, Cooper was determined to realize a couple more deals before deadline day, which unfortunately didn't see the light. Maybe he was influenced by the over €14 Million that the club made in profit during the transfer window.

Rumors had it that the Swans had reached out to yet another Manchester City player – Claudio Gomes. The 20-year-old graduated PSG academy before joining City and had recently completed a loan spell with Jong PSV. Being compared with the highly regarded defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante, Gomes has attracted a lot of attention around Europe. Making a move to the Championship is a bit of a downgrade when clubs like Lille, Rennes, and even Girona are also gossiped to be in the race. Despite all the inquiries, the youngster remained with City, and possibly Guardiola is plotting on his Gomes’ Premier league debut.

Watford: Doing business with their sister club Udinese

During the summer transfer window, many deals between the English and the Italian team were made. Two defenders, a midfielder, and a forward all joined Watford from Udinese, and the Hornets returned the favor offloading 3 of their footballers to the Serie A side.

This included the prominent figures and regular starters Ignacio Pussetto and Gerard Deulofeu but also former Udinese player Roberto Pereyra. The Argentinian has three seasons with this Calcio under his belt and has signed another 3-year-long contract. The reason for all the transfers between the two sides is that they have the same owners.

Other rumored deals

Despite netting nearly €50 Million, the Championship side hasn't spent a single nickel on arriving players. And this doesn't mean they didn't sign anyone – pretty much the opposite as the summer window saw 21 new arrivals at Vicarage Road.

The Yellow Army could possibly have profited a lot more if they had let the rumored exit of Ismaila Sarr go through. However, bids made from Manchester United and Ligue 1 side Rennes were looking to loan the player rather than buy. On top of that, Sarr's departure would've hurt the Hornet's promotion hopes. The forward was bought for €30 Million and is currently worth a bit less valued at €25 Million.

Brazilian team Santos's Lucas Verissimo also saw a Watford bid at €7.5 Million. Financially unstable, Santos was believed to be keen on letting Verissimo go in order to get some income. However, the move didn’t see the light in the summer.

Wycombe Wanderers: Leicester City youngster can remain longer at the club than it was expected

On the domestic deadline, the Foxes defender Josh Knight finally inked his loan contract with the Championship debutants. It was long after rumors had surrounded both him and Wycombe, and the talk was that he would sooner or later join Ainsworth's squad. The manager had praised Knight during his time at Peterborough United in League One. Claims are that the defender impressed with this exact loan spell, but it was never enough to play at the King Power Stadium.

If the 23-year-old remains out of favor under Brendan Rogers, he may look for a permanent move to Wycombe. Furthermore, his contract with the Foxes is due to expire in the following summer. Considering that Leicester does not offer Knight an extension, the defender may work out a deal with the Chairboys.

Akinfenwa’s rumored exit.

This one will give you a chuckle. The 38-year-old hugely built striker has been gossiped to be preparing his Wycombe exit. However, his departure won't be a change of teams, but rather a change of sports. That's right, Akinfenwa nicknamed “The Beast”, will look to pursue his dream of becoming a WWE wrestler. He has been in contact with WWE boss Vince McMahon. Reportedly Akinfenwa would've already ended his football career if it wasn't for the hard-fought promotion to which he contributed with ten goals. Likely this is his last season before hanging the boots.