Five free agents your Championship club could sign

Whilst money may appear to be a bottomless pit on occasions in the Premier League, the Championship often relies on shrewd business, including the common use of free transfers.

With contracts typically expiring at midnight on 30th June, 1st July is generally the day on the calendar where fans are scouring the market to see who their club can pick up on a Bosman transfer.

We take a look at five available free agents who your Championship could sign in the summer transfer window.

Tom Cairney

While the Championship isn't necessarily inundated with money, finances are increasing and clubs are starting to be able to offer Premier League esque money for some players.

Fulham have reportedly offered Tom Cairney a contract but his future remains up in the air and Championship sides may be eyeing up his situation with the midfielder now a free agent.

Playing over 25 games in each of his last three Premier League campaigns, the question may be mooted as to why he would take the step down, but at 34 years of age, regular gametime may be at the forefront of his mind.

Wrexham are said to be in the mix for Cairney, but only time will tell as to whether the former Blackburn Rovers man would return to England's second flight.

Danny Ings

A renowned goalscorer for large parts of his professional playing career, West Ham have struggled to get a tune out of Danny Ings since signing the capped England international for £15m in January 2023.

Scoring a combined four goals over the last three top flight terms, evidence would suggest that the centre forward is struggling to meet the demands of the Premier League nowadays, potentially opening up a return to the Championship.

As is the case with Cairney, it's Championship newbies Wrexham who appear the most likely to secure the signature of Ings, aiming to record an emphatic fourth consecutive promotion in the not-too-distant future.

Callum Wilson

It'd be harsh to group Callum Wilson in the former prolific centre forward category given he scored nine times in the 2023/24 term and found the net on 18 occasions in the 2022/23 campaign.

With that said, Newcastle's standards are only going to increase with UEFA Champions League football on the horizon, so it's unsurprising to see that a contract renewal hasn't been agreed.

While the centre forward would likely be costly in wages and does possess a worrying injury record in more recent years, a fit Callum Wilson would undoubtedly be one of the division's most clinical strikers.

Craig Dawson

A common theme of experienced, former Premier League players is starting to emerge, and every Championship side could do far worse than central defender Craig Dawson.

Barring an injury ridden 2022/23 season, Dawson has been a regular in the top flight since making the move from West Brom to Watford in 2019.

Featuring 15 times in the Premier League for Wolves last season, Dawson's know-how wouldn't just help a side near the top end of the table, but the bottom end of the standings too, with Derby County mooted as a potential destination.

Seemingly attentive to the free agent market, Wrexham are reportedly interested, as are fellow Championship newcomers Birmingham.

Harry Toffolo

When Harry Toffolo signed for Nottingham Forest in 2022, he probably expected to be a regular starter in Steve Cooper's side, but the club's influx of arrivals meant a starting spot became even more competitive.

While the full-back had by no means been axed out of Cooper's plans, nor Nuno Espirito Santo's, he hasn't quite been the integral part of Forest's side that he may have hoped, featuring just four times in the league last term.

West Brom and Coventry have been mentioned as potential admirers in recent weeks, though nothing is concrete as of yet.