Ipswich Town are not the only Championship club to have made a quick start to their recruitment drive for next season. Chris Brammer examines the activity of the Blues’ rivals so far...
Jordan Spence, Joe Garner, Emyr Huws, Tom Adeyemi and Manchester City winger Bersant Celina have arrived.
Huws, Adeyemi and Garner are upgrades on released trio Jonathan Douglas, Giles Coke and Leon Best respectively, Spence fitted in seamlessly at right-back last season, and Celina is being tipped to have a similar impact to Ryan Fraser and Tom Lawrence.
Town will have more pace, guile and creativity – that’s just from the signings of Huws and Adeyemi.
That duo’s former club, Cardiff City, have already brought in former Town target Danny Ward, while Hearts defender, Callum Patterson, on Ipswich’s radar of in January, has also joined.
Wolves, bankrolled by Fosun International and under new boss Nuno, have signed Barry Douglas, Roderick Miranda and Phil Ofosu-Ayeh.
However, the most spectacular addition could still be yet to come with the club having reportedly agreed a £15m fee for 20-year-old Portugal’s Ruben Neves of Porto, a deal which would take Wolves’ spending to an estimated £47m in the last year alone.
Wolves’ Midlands rivals, meanwhile, made a big statement yesterday, bringing in released Chelsea captain, John Terry, arguably the finest defender of the Premier League era.
Villa’s neighbours have signed Brighton goalkeeper David Stockdale and Barnsley defender, Marc Roberts – Harry Redknapp trying to shore up a defence that let in 64 goals last season.
Derby have made one of the signings of the summer in Curtis Davies, a £500,000 snip from Hull, while Chris Martin’s return from his season-long loan at Fulham will boost the Rams’ attacking options, given Will Hughes’ exit to Watford, and the imminent departure of Tom Ince to Huddersfield.
Derby’s local rivals, Nottingham Forest, have signed Jason Cummings from Hibs, the 21-year-old having scored 55 goals in 114 games for the Edinburgh team.
Relegated Hull, Middlesbrough and Sunderland should all have big parachute payments to try stabilise and build again in the Championship, but none of them have signed anyone yet.
In Hull’s case, they have been weakened, losing goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic (Leicester), and defenders Harry Maguire (Leicester) and Davies (Derby).
Fulham’s best business could well be getting last season’s EFL Player of the Year Tom Cairney to sign a year’s extension, the midfielder is now under contract at Craven Cottage until 2021.
The Cottagers lost in the play-off semi-finals last season, as did Sheffield Wednesday, who are poised to bring in George Boyd from Burnley.
Last season’s losing play-off finalists, Reading, have secured Dutchman Jelle Clement, while Leeds have had a managerial change – bringing in Thomas Christiansen – for Garry Monk and have signed FC Twente’s Mateusz Klich and Werder Bremen ‘keeper, Felix Wiedwald.
Norwich, have brought in Marley Watkins – the subject of a January bid from Ipswich – and ‘keeper Angus Gunn on loan from Manchester City.
Barnsley have a scouting team that is second-to-none, although they always seem to lose their best players.
Josh Scowen has signed for QPR, Watkins has joined Norwich and Marc Roberts has moved to Birmingham.
They could surprise again though, having made several under-the-radar additions, including Luton’s Cameron McGeehan and Southampton winger Lloyd Isgrove.
Having brought in the unknown Jonathan Kodjia from Angers, before selling him for big money to Villa, Bristol City are hoping to have found another gem in Famara Diedhiou, who has signed for £5.3m from Angers.
Burton Albion have added experienced defenders Jake Buxton and Stephen Warnock, and prolific Inverness striker Liam Boyce, whilst Brentford have drafted in right-back Henrik Dalsgaard from Zulte Waregem.
Promoted Bolton have added free agents Mark Little and Will Buckley, Millwall have moved for Wolves wingers George Saville and Jed Wallace and Sheffield United have signed George Baldock (MK Dons), Enda Stevens (Portsmouth) and Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool).
Preston, made three additions before manager Simon Grayson’s departure, bringing in Manchester United striker Josh Harrop, Norwich goalkeeper Declan Rudd and Cork City hotshot Sean Maguire.
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