The 2019/20 season is now just around the corner and Championship sides are busy preparing for the new campaign.

With the transfer window open for business, clubs are working hard to bring in new players to bolster their squad.

August 8th marks an early closure of the window this year so we’ve already seen some major business across the league with Birmingham City and West Brom expected to still be busy

As part of our weekly Big Championship Debate, Reach football writers from 19 clubs have now given their verdicts on the best signings of the summer so far: 

Steven Chicken - Huddersfield Town

For a newly-promoted side like Luton Town to secure the signing of Brendan Galloway on a free from Everton is quite a coup, regardless of the pre-existing relationship between player and manager.

Galloway, of course, knows Graeme Jones well from the new gaffer’s time as Roberto Martinez’s assistant at Everton, and for a short while it looked like Galloway was on the verge of becoming the best young full-back in English football.

He had a really good run in the first team back at the beginning of the 2015/16 season, with Martinez saying: “Brendan keeps surprising everyone … we have been very pleased with the way he has adapted to the demands and clearly we have someone quite special for the future.”

For one reason or another that hasn’t come off - getting opportunities in the Premier League is tough for any young player - but Galloway’s talent won’t have evaporated overnight.

Luton may have lost their reigning player of the year in previous left-back James Justin, who has signed for Leicester City; but in Galloway they could have a more than ideal replacement on their hands.

If the stars align, the Hatters may well find themselves with a Premier League-worthy commodity come the end of the season.

Brendan Galloway
Brendan Galloway

Gregor MacGregor - Bristol City

While the signing of Tomas Kalas and Jay Dasilva - a senior and and an U21 international - from Chelsea for fees believed to be around £8m and £2m looks like sterling work in the current transfer market, I can't help but admire the work at Craven Cottage.

First, to sign up Mitro to a new deal with plenty of interest in his services this summer and in January was great business. And then to follow up with the signing of Ivan Cavaleiro on a season-long loan with the option to buy is - to these eyes - great work by the power-brokers of SW6.

Cavaleiro, a full Portugal international, was a key figure for Wolves in their promotion two seasons ago - and he could be again if all works out in west London.

An expected 10 goals from out wide - as per his previous output in the second tier - could be key for Scott Parker's team, and added to the bullish and finishing qualities of Mitrovic, it could give the Cottagers' one of the best attacks in the Championship next season.

And also a decent replacement for Ryan Sessegnon should the England U21 player move on. Plus, now the Cavaleiro deal has gone through, the financials seem to be stacked in Shahid Khan's favour. Try before you buy.

Other shout: the £5m or so capture of Pontus Jansson for Brentford from a promotion rival.

Joseph Chapman - Birmingham City / West Bromwich Albion

I love a good bargain.

‘Free transfers’ aren’t exactly that, are they? The receiving club must still fork out a signing on fee which can be a pretty attractive sum depending on the player.

That said, the signing of Nick Powell to Stoke City and QPR’s acquisition of Yoan Barbet after he left Brentford, both for nominal money, represent excellent business.

The most eye-catching signing of the summer thus far for me, though, is the capture of Helder Costa by Leeds United.

The Portuguese winger featured sporadically in the Premier League for Wolves, and wasn’t as effective in the Championship under Nuno Espirito Santo after contending with injuries.

Prior to that, though, Costa lit the second tier up under Paul Lambert - his first campaign in English football - and I for one am excited to see how he fares after being permitted a fresh start at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa will want more of the same next season, with just a little more at the front of the pitch, and Costa brings something of a ‘wow’ factor to what is already a talented squad.

He has pace, a fearlessness of full-backs and, when on song and in full flight, he has the ability to add goals and provide opportunities for others.

Elsewhere, Stoke’s business is intriguing - their no nonsense approach in adding five players in one go early doors allows Nathan Jones time to fashion his squad how he wishes for the new campaign.

Keith Wales - Stoke City

Football fans are never the most patient of people, but the moaning across the Potteries at Stoke City’s lack of transfer activity was incessant - until the club silenced the doubters by unveiling six new recruits on one June day.

Amongst that crop was one of the Championship’s signings of the summer, and what’s more, the free agent didn’t cost a penny.

As a youngster, Nick Powell was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace the great Paul Scholes at Manchester United.

They were always huge boots to fill, and injuries and Fergie’s retirement also conspired to undermine Powell’s development at Old Trafford.

But after a series of loans and then three seasons at Wigan, Powell appears a more mature character now determined to realise his undoubted ability as a goal-making and goal-taking number 10.

And it is clear he appreciates the challenge he faces at Stoke after telling manager Nathan Jones during transfer negotiations: “Look, if I want an easy ride I’d go elsewhere.”

Powell is still only 25, so time is on his side as he bids to orchestrate a Stoke promotion push and perhaps his own rehabilitation as a top-flight player. And if he is only half the player Scholes was, then that will be more than good enough for Stoke fans.

Other summer deals worthy of mention are Brentford’s shock signing of Leeds defender Pontus Jansson and Fulham’s coup in getting Aleksandar Mitrović to pen a new five-year contract when he had seemed certain to quit the relegated club.

Jansson was one of the Championship’s outstanding defenders last season, and at 28, Brentford are getting him at the height of his powers. Unfortunately, an exodus of players from Griffin Park may yet undermine his impact.

As for Mitrović, he is proven as a striker at Championship level and should ensure Fulham are pushing for promotion again this term.

Ian Mitchelmore - Swansea City

Granted, it's not a signing, but retaining the services of Marcelo Bielsa has to go down as one of Leeds United's best pieces of business during their 15-year absence from the Premier League.

Leeds fell agonisingly short of gaining promotion last term, but the improvement at Elland Road was clear for all to see.

They have to be among the favourites for a top six place this season, and many will fancy them to be serious automatic promotion contenders.

On the pitch, Helder Costa is a hugely exciting capture, so Leeds' progress could be intriguing to watch this season.

And plenty of other deals already concluded could shape the Championship standings.

Fulham could be a real force having tied down striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to a new long-term deal. After a miserable campaign in the top flight, the Serbian forward could be the difference between an immediate return to the big time or another season in the second tier for Scott Parker's troops. The signing of Ivan Cavaleiro isn't too shabby either.

Elsewhere, Wales international Will Vaulks is just what the doctor ordered as far as Neil Warnock is concerned at Cardiff City while Everton's exciting talent Kieran Dowell will continue his development at Derby, which I'm sure will delight those at Nottingham Forest who saw him impress at the City Ground during the 2017/18 season.

Philip Buckingham, Hull City

You can make a case for Leeds United securing the most impressive piece of business this summer after bringing in Helder Costa from Wolves. Their deal to sell Jack Clarke to Tottenham for £9m and then loan him straight back was another canny move.

Leeds, though, are also guilty of handing Brentford what could turn out to be the bargain of the window. To pick up Pontus Jansson for a reported £5m feels like excellent business.

The Bees have flogged Ezri Konsa to Aston Villa and got in Jansson for half the money.  Given the experience he’s got at this level and on the international stage with Sweden, Jansson’s arrival entrenches the belief that Brentford will be genuine contenders for promotion in Griffin Park’s last season.

Jansson is a good age and, in theory, coming into his prime years as a centre-back. Replacing him for the same outlay will be a thankless task for Leeds.

There’s been plenty of astute free transfers as well this summer. Nick Powell can be a great addition for Stoke, as can Patrick Bauer with Preston.

Pick of the bunch, though, is Huddersfield’s move for Tommy Elphick. Hull City saw what an excellent leader he can be during his loan spell at the KCOM Stadium last season and he will help Huddersfield to find their feet back in the second tier.

Alex James, Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers

Sometimes a signing is more than just a good player, they’re a leader, a figure to inspire those around them.

Speak to any successful side and they’ll tell you the dressing room environment is key.

So for Brentford to secure the signing of Pontus Jansson from Leeds is a shrewd bit of business on and off the pitch.

The Swede has all the characteristics you want from a centre back.

He has the ability and experience you want in the Championship. And what you’d expect when forking our £5m plus on a player who was in the team of the season last term. 

Off the pitch he is a voice in the dressing room, communicates with supporters and brings the best out of others.

His capture can provide Brentford with a foundation at the back that allows their attacking talent to flourish.

There’s still three weeks of the window left but if the Bees can retain their key figures at the other end of the pitch then you have to feel they’re ready to turn potential into performance.

Stoke City and Bristol City appear to have invested wisely while Helder Costa can bring plenty to Leeds United’s ranks.

Over in Lancashire, Blackburn Rovers have quietly added experience in Bradley Johnson and Stewart Downing while the £5m signing of Sam Gallagher is eye catching if eyebrow-raising given a goalkeeper and defensive reinforcements are an absolute must for Tony Mowbray‘s side.

Preston North End won the race for Patrick Bauer from Charlton, coveted by a host of clubs, and Alex Neil will now be aiming to add attacking options to offset the loss of Callum Robinson.

Both Lancashire clubs are set to be active in the final throes of the window.

Leeds United's Pontus Jansson

Tom Coleman, Cardiff City

It’s difficult to look beyond Brentford’s capture of Pontus Jansson in terms of the Championship’s most impressive deal so far this summer.

Having finished 10 points adrift of the play-offs last time out, Brentford are seemingly doing their very best to ensure they’re in the mix this season.

Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are both intriguing signings, but given his quality and experience, Jansson is the pick of the bunch for me, and will undoubtedly have a massive impact on their chances of challenging for promotion.

The fact that Leeds, who are probably favourites for the title, only sold him on due to their hand being forced by financial fair play, tells you just how big of a signing he could prove to be.

Then again Leeds have done pretty well for themselves too. The loan of Helder Costa from Wolves is particularly impressive, as too are the captures of Jack Harrison and Jack Clarke.

Fulham have also made a big statement by bringing in Ivan Cavaleiro on loan from Wolves, although you suspect that plenty of energy will be put into ensuring Ryan Sessegnon stays on at Craven Cottage.

Cardiff's trio of Will Vaulks, Curtis Nelson and Joe Day has left them looking stronger ahead of the new season too, although I'm sure Neil Warnock would still like a new striker on board before the season gets underway.

Elsewhere, I actually think Stewart Downing could prove a useful signing for Blackburn Rovers, although keeping Bradley Dack has to be their top priority.

Will Vaulks of Rotherham United and Rekeem Harper of West Bromwich Albion

Phil Spencer - Brentford, Charlton, Fulham, Millwall, QPR

It’s been a busy start to the summer transfer window for the clubs in the Championship with several names fancying their chances of pushing for promotion.

Several clubs have moved early to do their business, while others are playing a more patient game as they look to see how the market develops over the course of the summer months.

However with less than three week until the start of the season, it’s clear that some clubs are looking stronger than others.

There has been several deals to catch the eye so far, but the one that stands out for me is Fulham’s signing of Ivan Cavaleiro.

The winger arrived on a season-long loan deal from Wolves, and has the potential to take the Championship by storm.

The 25-year-old was key in helping Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to promotion, and with the Cottagers hoping to secure a Premier League return, they’ll be hoping he can have a similar impact.

Cavaleiro is renowned for his pace, power and overall exciting play – something which will see him fit in perfectly at Fulham who will be hoping to recapture the attacking flair that saw them go up two seasons ago.

It could be a match made in heaven, and Cavaleiro’s switch to the Cottage looks like an early contender for signing of the summer.

Jonathan Low - Reading

There are a few stand-out signings for me by Championship clubs so far this summer.

Yoann Barbet, Tommy Elphick and Pontus Jansson are among the top captures but Fulham landing Ivan Cavaleiro is the most astute move.

I was hugely impressed by him when he played for Wolves against Reading and if he can replicate that form on a consistent basis for the Whites then they will have some player on their hands.

Add to that Aleksandar Mitrovic committing his future to the club and Fulham have assists and goals galore - potentially.

Leeds United have done some solid business while Millwall's recruits will ensure they are a tough team to beat.

The additions of Nick Powell, Stephen Ward and Tommy Smith by Stoke City should enhance the Potters' promotion chances and give the team a more solid look.

That said, plenty of observers said City's additions last summer would see them run away with the title so I'm not building them up too much...yet!

Reading have been quiet in the transfer market and due to Profit and Sustainability guidelines have little room for manoeuvre.

With talented youngster Danny Loader in the final year of his contract, Royals are crossing their fingers he will sign a new deal.

Fellow academy product Michael Olise - who is only 17 and broke into the first team last season - has committed his future, however, signing a new three-year deal.

It's sure to be one of the best bits of business done by the club this summer.

Chris Watson - Derby County

A few Championship signings have caught the eye so far this summer, including those of Wolves duo Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro.

Costa and Cavaleiro have joined Leeds and Fulham respectively on season-long loans.

Both men helped Wolves win promotion to the Premier League, and played in the top flight last season as Nuno Espirito Santo's men finished seventh in the table.

They have already shown what they can do at this level, and should offer significant attacking threats to their new clubs.

Leeds looked to have done some decent business in general. In addition to the arrival of Costa, they have managed to retain the services of the talented Jack clarke on loan following his £10m move to Spurs, while also bringing back Jack Harrison on loan from Manchester City.

They have, though, sold key defender Pontus Jansson to Brentford, who will be hoping they have picked up a bargain at a reported £5.5m.

Elsewhere, midfielder Will Vaulks could be a useful addition for Cardiff, having joined from Rotherham United for £2.1m.

Stoke have been busy in the transfer market and look to have brought in some solid Championship experience in the shape of players like striker Lee Gregory on a free transfer from Millwall.

Anthony Vickers - Middlesbrough

Brentford have done the best business this summer. Or at least, they will have once they square their annual circle and flog either Neal Maupay or Ollie Watkins.

The Bees have found an admirable transfer model that every club in the division should envy.

They not only perfected the art of recruiting hidden gems that are superbly fitted to the slick passing style they play, they also have a clinical sales policy of moving players quickly and for a profit.

That has let them consistently punch above their weight on the pitch while having a sustainable club with a real identity. That is some trick.

Owner Matthew Bentham is a number-cruncher by trade and is committed to big data in football. And he has made it all add up.

In the past few years they have signed Andre Grey from Luton for £500,000 and sold to Burnley for £9m. They got Scott Hogan from Rochdale for £750,000 and sold to Aston Villa for £12m. They have been quids in on Egan Jozefzoon, Dean and Jota. It works.

In a division dogged by debt and crisis and chicanery and the ongoing headache of meeting Financial Fair Play, Brentford run smoothly. 

So far this summer they have brought in classy stopper Pontus Jansson in from Leeds for £5m and paid for that by selling Ezri Konsa to Villa for £12m a year after getting him for £2.5m from Charlton. That‘s good business in every sense.

They have also brought in attacking midfielder Mathias Jensen from Celta Vigo and holding man Christian Norgaard from Fiorentina, both for £3m.

If Brentford’s form in the market holds we can look forward to them both excelling this season and then being flogged to Villa for a fortune.  

Joe Mewis - Leeds United

With my Leeds United cap on, it's hard to see any signing this summer having a bigger impact that Marcelo Bielsa's decision to remain at Elland Road for a second season.

You won’t find another recent example of just how much one individual has changed a club and means that Leeds start consecutive seasons with the same manager for the first time in almost a decade.

That the Argentine will be able to call on Helder Costa in a deal where Leeds have used FFP smarts to get it over the line, is another coup for the club.

But it's another Wolves winger in Ivan Cavaleiro that is perhaps the most eye-catching piece of player recruitment this summer away from Elland Road.

Like Costa, he's a top class winger with a promotion on his CV, who will chip in with his fair share of goals when he's not delivering the ball on a plate for Aleksandar Mitrovic, buoyed by his fresh contract. There are echoes of last season's West Brom side with Fulham this year - a talent-packed squad with an inexperienced manager, so it's over to Scott Parker now to show us what he can do.

Honourable mention to Brentford's signing of Pontus Jansson. The Bees may well have a bargain following their £5.5million if the Swede can shed some of the bad habits he developed at Leeds, although the fact that no Premier League sides were willing to take the plunge we he became available may well be telling.

Sarah Clapson – Nottingham Forest

Forest fans were starting to worry there was tumbleweed blowing through the City Ground corridors earlier this summer, such was the club’s slow start to the transfer window.

Since things started to pick up, though, the Reds have done some decent business – indeed, potentially some very good business, on paper at least.

Some of their rivals have secured eye-catching signings, too - Helder Costa on loan to Leeds United from Wolves, for instance; his Wanderers teammate Ivan Cavaleiro going to Fulham for the season and Brentford bagging Pontus Jansson, for what could be a bargain price of £5.5m.

But Forest can be pretty happy with the additions they have made themselves.

Albert Adomah might have had a bit of a mixed season last time out, but still played a key part for Aston Villa as they earned their place in the Premier League.

He knows what it takes to get out of the division; he’s a winner, having also experienced promotion during his time at Middlesbrough. And he’s also regularly weighed in with goals throughout his career – something the Reds could certainly do with.

Securing his signature on a free could prove to be an excellent deal.

Adding highly-rated Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric to the mix, on a season-long loan, is also promising for Sabri Lamouchi’s side.

They think a lot of him at the Premier League giants and he showed what he can do during City’s Carabao Cup run last season.

Forest haven’t splashed out a ton of money this summer and they’ve taken a bit of a gamble on some players who don’t have experience of English football, but on the whole, they look to have worked the market fairly well so far.

Time will tell, of course, whether that translates to a promotion push.