The Best Championship Signings Of The Summer

Every team in the Championship sets out with the aim of signing well in the summer to boost their chances of promotion or survival. Now that 3^{rd to} 8^th are play-off spots in the second tier, getting the right players in could put a team in the mix for a shot at the big time. Second-tier teams did sign well this summer, and many of them are already delivering on the pitch.

Will Lankshear

There’s only one place to start, and that’s with Will Lankshear, who signed for Middlesbrough from Tottenham Hotspur in July. The 21-year-old has hit the ground running on Teesside, scoring six goals in eight outings in the Championship. His early-season form is already setting tongues wagging about a potential Premier League return in the coming months, so you can expect the striker to feature amongst football transfer betting online if he keeps on banging the goals in.

Raúl Jiménez

Raúl Jiménez, 35, made an emotional return to Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer from Fulham, and the Mexican is already making an impact. He may not have started every game, with four starts from a possible six so far, but he’s scored three times and made one assist. It’s Jiménez’s experience of getting out of the second tier that will be key, and his relationship with Wolves and the club’s fans.

Rio Cardines

Bristol City are expected to be one of the teams in the mix for promotion come the end of the season, be it automatically or via the play-offs. As a club, they’ve recruited well this summer, but the pick of their signings is probably Rio Cardines, who joined on loan from Crystal Palace. The 20-year-old is a full-back who prefers playing on the left but can also play on the right. Now, a full-back needs to be able to defend, but going forward, the Trinidad and Tobago international has registered six assists in eight appearances in the Championship, which is some going.

Liam Millar

Liam Millar, 27, at one stage looked to be set to stay in the Premier League with Hull City this season, so Birmingham City being able to sign him is something of a coup. After scoring the winning goal for Hull against Coventry City, Millar joined Birmingham and has hit the ground running. He’s started four games in the Championship so far, and scored once and set up three. You couldn’t really ask for a better return. There’s also talk that the Canadian international could make his loan move permanent.

Stephen Welsh

Swansea City are top of the Championship, having taken 17 points from eight games. Most people wouldn’t expect to see the Swans in first place, but Vítor Matos’ side are good value for their lead. One of the reasons why Swansea are in such great form is their resolute defence, which has only conceded six goals this term, the best record in the league. Central defender Stephen Welsh has been an ever-present at the back for the Swans since joining on a free from Celtic, with the 26-year-old one of the bargains of the summer.

Conclusion

If there’s one thing all of the above have in common, it’s that they’re already making a hugely positive impact for their new clubs. If they can sustain their form, they could all end up in the mix for a shot at promotion come May, which would make them some of the best signings of the summer.