Former Leeds United, Southampton and Nottingham Forest stars are among the high-profile free agents who are available to sign for Championship clubs.
While the summer transfer window has closed in England, clubs are still able to sign free agents and there are plenty of them available.
We’ve assessed 10 brilliant free agents who could all do a job in the Championship.
Patrick Bamford
Given how many Championship clubs are still after a striker, it seems inevitable that some of them will go after Bamford.
The Leeds United forward was released by mutual consent last month and is now weighing up his options, with Celtic also interested.
Injuries have hampered his game time in recent seasons, but with 69 goals in 217 Championship appearances, there’ll surely be some takers for him.
Nathan Redmond
Redmond has been around for so long that we were genuinely surprised to find out that he’s only 31 years old.
The winger was part of Burnley’s promotion-winning squad last season, but barely got the chance to feature as he was recovering from a calf injury.
A potential return to Birmingham City had been rumoured earlier in the window, but they’ve not yet offered him a contract.
Jonjo Shelvey
A fellow member of Burnley’s promotion-winning sqaud, Shelvey is also on the hunt for his next club.
The 33-year-old only made two appearances in the Championship last season after joining Burnley on a short-term deal in January.
We could definitely see a Championship club taking a punt on him at some point between now and January.
Emmanuel Dennis
After a brilliant Premier League season in 2021–22, where he scored 10 goals, Dennis has struggled to recapture that sort of form.
He’s recently had loan spells in the Championship with Watford and Blackburn Rovers, but only scored four goals in 23 appearances for both clubs combined.
Nottingham Forest agreed to mutually terminate his contract at the end of last month and he’s still weighing up his options.
Despite not playing much football over the past three seasons, Dennis is still only 27 and could still be a good player at this level. We’re intrigued to see where he ends up next.
Jamal Lewis
Following his release from Newcastle, the likes of West Brom, Norwich and Middlesbrough have all been linked with the left-back in recent weeks.
Given his lack of football in recent years, it seems more than likely that he’ll drop down to the Championship.
Josh Brownhill
Having already snubbed a contract offer from Leicester City, it looks like Brownhill is holding out for a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a superb campaign in the second tier last season, scoring 18 goals and providing six assists for Burnley.
He’s also had interest from Wolves in the Premier League, but could be tempted by a big offer from Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League. Watch this space.
Fraser Forster
After spending the last few years warming the bench at Tottenham, Forster is currently without a club.
The towering shot-stopper has never played in the Championship before, but might consider the drop down if he doesn’t get any Premier League offers.
Michail Antonio
It makes sense that Antonio would hold out for a Premier League club, but if the call doesn’t come, a move to the Championship could be perfect for the 35-year-old.
He was linked with a move to Leeds United earlier in the window, but those murmurs have gone quiet following the arrival of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Josh Ginnelly
Ginnelly’s Swansea career started with such promise, but injuries ultimately derailed his career in Wales.
After only making 12 appearances over the last two seasons, the winger was released by mutual consent earlier this month.
Still only 28 years old, he could be a good asset for an EFL club if he manages to leave his injuries behind.
Jack Colback
QPR recently confirmed that Colback won’t be returning to the club after his contract had expired earlier this year.
The 35-year-old is by no means at the peak of his powers, but he could still do a job for a number of clubs in the EFL.
He made 24 appearances in the Championship last season and on average, was booked every 242 minutes.
Jeff Hendrick
Having recently had short stints with Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County, Hendrick is once again on the lookout for a new club.
The 33-year-old was linked with Wigan Athletic earlier in the window, but could be holding out for a Championship club.
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