Coventry City and rivals in the Championship have been busy in the winter transfer window as they prepare for a frantic final three months of the season
Peter Smith Football reporter and Andy Turner Coventry City reporter
16:15, 03 Feb 2026Updated 16:19, 03 Feb 2026
New Birmingham City signing Jonathan Panzo
New Birmingham City signing Jonathan Panzo(Image: BCFC)
Championship clubs were involved in a frenetic final day of trading in the winter transfer window as they prepare for a hectic last three months of the season.
Coventry City moved for Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka as Frank Lampard tries to steady a wobble at the top of the table.
Stoke City secured the signings of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (on loan from Crystal Palace) and Ato Ampah (undisclosed fee, Chelsea) as they finalised Mark Robins' squad for 16 remaining games, tasked with hauling themselves into the play-off places and challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
Derby County dug deep for an expensive loan signing of Sammie Szmodics, from Ipswich Town, and brought in Derry Murkin as competition at left-back.
"Szmodics' arrival is a serious statement of intent by Derby with the forward becoming the fifth signing of the January window and their second on deadline day," writes Derby reporter Leigh Curtis.
Birmingham City made six new signings in the window, totalling at least £15m as they try to make a late charge up the table and relieve pressure on head coach Chris Davies.
Birmingham reporter Alex Dicken writes: "Six signings, excluding Roberts, takes Blues’ total under Davies to 38 across four transfer windows.
"The manager has been backed and Knighthead will hope to see a continuation of the team’s current trajectory. Five league games unbeaten since that chastening afternoon at Vicarage Road has seen Blues catapulted back into play-off contention.
"Make no mistake, Knighthead forked out £15m with the Premier League in mind."
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Hull City have been very busy despite an EFL sanction because they didn't pay bills on time last season.
Hull reporter Barry Cooper writes: "Despite being unable to pay a transfer or loan fee, the club have been able to strike five crucial deals to give them what they hope will be the final push towards promotion.
"The quality of the business City have been able to do would have been solid and impressive had they been able to trade normally, but to do it without being able to pay a loan or transfer fee is quite something.
"(Owner, Acun) Ilicali says the club worked their 'magic' once again, and it's hard to argue. They did that in the summer with McBurnie and Gelhardt, and have done so again."
Here are all the deals in the Championship across the winter window.
Coventry City
In: Yang Min-hyeok (loan, Spurs), Romaine Esse (loan, Crystal Palace), Jahnoah Markelo (undisclosed, Zurich), Frank Onyeka (loan, Brentford)
Out: Justin Obikwu (£500k, QPR), Norman Basette (loan, Kaiserslautern), Kai Yearn (loan, Chesham United), Kai Andrews (loan, Hibernian)
Middlesbrough
In: Leo Castledine (£1m, Chelsea), Finley Munroe (£300k, Aston Villa), Jeremy Armiento (loan, Brighton), Joe Wildsmith (loan, West Brom)
Out: Lukas Engel (£750k, Real Salt Lake), Charlie Lennon (undisclosed, Barnsley), Sonny Finch (loan, South Shields), Delano Burgzorg (loan, Bristol City), Abdoulaye Kante (loan, Saint Etienne)
Hull City
In: Kieran Dowell (undisclosed, Rangers), Yu Hirakawa (loan, Bristol City), Kieran Dowell (undisclosed, Rangers), Paddy McNair (undisclosed, San Diego), Toby Collyer (loan, Manchester United), Lewis Koumas (loan, Liverpool)
Out: Kasey Palmer (loan, Luton Town), Tyrell Sellars-Fleming (loan, Grimsby), Harry Vaughan (loan, Bohemians), Enis Destan (loan, Wsterlo)
Ipswich Town
In: Anis Mehmeti (£3m, Bristol City), Dan Neil (loan, Sunderland)
Out: Cameron Humphreys (loan, Huddersfield), Harry Clarke (loan, Charlton), Sammie Szmodics (loan, Derby County)
Millwall
In: Barry Bannan (undisclosed, Sheffield Wednesday), Anthony Patterson (loan, Sunderland), Tom Watson (loan, Brighton)
Out: Kamarl Grant (loan, Blackpool), Ajay Matthews (loan, Leyton Orient), Wes Harding (loan, Plymouth), Aidomo Emakhu (undisclosed, Oxford United), Jack Howland (loan, Barnet)
Wrexham
In: Zak Vyner (£1.5m, Bristol City), Davis Keillor-Dunn (undisclosed, Barnsley), Bailey Cadamarteri (undisclosed, Sheffield Wednesday)
Out: Jake Bickerstaff (undisclosed, Cheltenham Town), James McClean (free, Derry City), Jacob Mendy (undisclosed, Peterborough United), Conor Coady (loan, Charlton), Paul Mullin (loan, Bradford City), Elliot Lee (loan, Doncaster Rovers), Ryan Hardie (loan, Huddersfield Town), Harry Ashfield (loan, Cheltenham Town), Modou Faal (loan, Cheltenham Town)
Derby County
In: Dion Sanderson (undisclosed, Birmingham City), Oscar Fraulo (undisclosed, Borussia Monchengladbach), Derry Murkin (undisclosed, Utrecht), Kayden Banel (loan, Burnley), Sammie Szmodics (loan, Ipswich Town)
Out: Darren Robinson (undisclosed, Doncaster), Curtis Nelson (undisclosed, MK Dons), Ebou Adams (undisclosed, Portsmouth), Owen Beck (recalled by Liverpool), Ryan Nyambe (loan, Reading), Kayden Jackson (undisclosed, Bradford City), Jake Rooney (loan, Boston United), Corey Blackett-Taylor (loan, Bolton Wanderers)
Preston North End
In: Milos Lukovic (loan, Strasbourg), Andrew Moran (undisclosed, Brighton), Callum Lang (undisclosed, Portsmouth)
Out: Stefan Thordarson (undisclosed, Hannover 96), Harrison Armstrong (recalled by Everton), Will Keane (loan, Reading), Mads Frokjaer-Jensen (£1.2m, Brondby), Felipe Rodrigues-Gentile (loan, AFC Fylde)
Bristol City
In: Sam Morsy (free, Kuwait SC), Ranel Young (free, Usce Novi Beograd), George Earthy (loan, West Ham), Tomi Horvat (undisclosed, Sturm Graz), Delano Burgzorg (loan, Middlesbrough), Noah Eile (undisclosed, New York Red Bulls)
Out: Haydon Roberts (undisclosed, Reading), Max O’Leary (undisclosed, West Brom), Anis Mehmeti (£3m, Ipswich), Josh Stokes (loan, Stockport County), Olly Thomas (loan, Dunfermline), Elijah Morrison (loan, Forest Green Rovers), Harry Cornick (loan, Stevenage), Yu Hirakawa (loan, Hull), Zak Vyner (£1.5m, Wrexham), Fally Mayulu (undisclosed, Arouca)
Watford
In: Edoardo Bove (free, Roma), Stephen Mfuni (loan, Man City), Saba Goglichidze (loan, Udinese), Pierre Ekwah (loan, Saint Etienne),
Out: Tobi Adeyemo (loan, Crawley), Michael Adu-Poku (loan, Wealdstone), Max Alleyne (recalled by Man City), Caleb Wiley (recalled by Chelsea), James Morris (free, Leyton Orient), Moussa Sissoko (£300k, Panathinaikos), Daniel Bachmann (loan, Leyton Orient), Zavier Massiah-Edwards (loan, Braintree Town)
Queens Park Rangers
In: Ronnie Edwards (£4m, Southampton), Justin Obikwu (£500k, Coventry )
Out: Elijah Dixon-Bonner (loan, Wealdstone), Murphy Cooper (loan, Sheffield Wednesday), Alfie Lloyd (loan, Lincoln City), Liam Morrison (loan, Aberdeen), Emmerson Sutton (loan, Harrogate), Alexander Aoraha (undisclosed, Al-Zawraa), Michael Frey (£500k, Grasshopper Zurich), Sam Field (loan, Norwich City)
Stoke City
In: Gavin Bazunu (loan, Southampton), Milan Smit (loan, Go Ahead Eagles), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (loan, Crystal Palace), Ato Ampah (undisclosed, Chelsea)
Out: Jack Bonham (undisclosed, Bolton), Jamie Donley (recalled by Spurs), Freddie Anderson (loan, Barrow), Kieron Willox (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Andre Vidigal (released), Nathan Lowe (loan, Wycombe Wanderers), Favour Fawunmi (loan, Leyton Orient), Jaden Dixon (TBC)
Birmingham City
In: Kai Wagner (£2m, Philadelphia Union), August Priske (£6m, Djurgardens), Jhon Solis (loan, Girona), Ibrahim Osman (loan, Brighton), Carlos Vicente (£7m, Alaves), Patrick Roberts (undisclosed, Sunderland), Jonathan Panzo (undisclosed, Rio Ave)
Out: Eiran Cashin (recalled by Brighton), Lewis Koumas (recalled by Liverpool), Dion Sanderson (undisclosed, Derby), Emil Hansson (free, Excelsior), Keshi Anderson (free, Portsmouth), Lyndon Dykes (undisclosed, Charlton), Alfons Sampsted (undisclosed, Go Ahead Eagles), Tommy Fogarty (loan, Morecambe), Marc Leonard (loan, Hearts), Lewis Koumas (recalled by Liverpool), Willum Willmsson (undisclosed, NEC Nijmegen), Tyler Roberts (free, Mansfield Town)
Southampton
In: Daniel Peretz (loan, Bayern Munich), James Bree (recalled from Charlton), Cycle Larin (loan, Mallorca)
Out: Zach Awe (undisclosed, Salford City), Ronnie Edwards (£4m, QPR), Ryan Fraser (undisclosed, Western Sydney Wanderers), Damion Downs (loan, Hamburg), Gavin Bazunu (loan, Stoke), Ben Reeves (retired), Adam Armstrong (undisclosed, Wolves), Armel Bella-Kotchap (undisclosed, Verona), Romeo Akachukwu (loan, Colchester United), Joe Aribo (loan, Leicester City), Princewill Ehibhatiomhan (loan, Salford City)
Swansea City
In: Joel Ward (free, Crystal Palace), Gustavo Nunes (loan, Brentford), Leo Walta (loan, Sirius)
Out: Joel Cotterill (loan, Dundee), Josh Thomas (loan, Derry City), Evan Watts (loan, Galway United), Kaelan Casey (recalled by West Ham), Glory Nzingo (free, St Patrick's Athletic), Bobby Wales (loan, Huddersfield Town)
Leicester City
In: Joe Aribo (loan, Southampton), Divine Mukasa (loan, Man City), Jamaal Lascelles (undisclosed, Newcastle United)
Out: Sammy Braybrooke (loan, Chesterfield), Wout Faes (loan, Monaco), Chris Popov (loan, Morecambe), Brandon Cover (undisclosed, Rotherham United), Boubakary Soumare (undisclosed, Al Duhail), Jake Evans (loan, Northampton Town)
Sheffield United
In: Ki-Jana Hoever (loan, Wolves), Joe Rothwell (undisclosed, Rangers), Leo Hjelde (loan, Sunderland), Kalvin Phillips (loan, Man City)
Out: Ben Godfrey (recalled by Atalanta), Louie Barry (recalled by Aston Villa), Sam Curtis (loan, Chesterfield), Louie Marsh (loan, Falkirk), Nils Zatterstrom (loan, Genoa), Ryan One (loan, Lincoln City), Ehije Ukaki (loan, Atromitos)
Charlton Athletic
In: Lyndon Dykes (undisclosed, Birmingham), Harry Clarke (loan, Ipswich), Luke Chambers (loan, Liverpool), Tiernan Brooks (undisclosed, Gateshead), Collins Sichenje (undisclosed, Vojvodina), Jayden Fevrier (loan, Stockport County), Conor Coady (loan, Wrexham)
Out: Jerome Roussillon (free, Amiens), James Bree (recalled by Southampton), Ashley Maynard-Brewer (undisclosed, Dundee United), Onel Hernandez (released), Rob Apter (loan, Bolton Wanderers), Isaac Olaofe (loan, Stockport County), Henry Rylah (loan, Derry City), Karoy Anderson (loan, Blackpool)
Norwich City
In: Ali Ahmed (undisclosed, Vancouver Whitecaps), Paris Maghoma (undisclosed, Brentford), Harry Amass (loan, Man Utd), Mohamed Toure (£2.6m, Randers), Sam Field (loan, QPR)
Out: Emmanuel Adegboyega (undisclosed, Rotherham)
Portsmouth
In: Ebou Adams (undisclosed, Derby), Keshi Anderson (free, Birmingham), Millenic Alli (loan, Luton), Madiodio Dia (undisclosed, Haugesund), Jacob Brown (loan, Luton Town), Gustavo Caballero (loan, Santos), Aji Alese (loan, Sunderland)
Out: Yang Min-hyeok (recalled by Spurs), Tom McIntyre (released), Callum Lang (undisclosed, Preston North End)
West Bromwich Albion
In: Max O’Leary (undisclosed, Bristol City), Danny Imray (loan, Crystal Palace), Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba (loan, Aston Villa), Hindolo Mustapha (loan, Crystal Palace)
Out: Toby Collyer (recalled by Man Utd), Cole Deeming (loan, Cheltenham Town), Joe Wildsmith (loan, Middlesbrough)
Blackburn Rovers
In: Mathias Jorgensen (£3.5m, Bodo/Glimt), Eiran Cashin (loan, Brighton), Dapo Afolayan (undisclosed, St Pauli)
Out: Makhtar Gueye (£1.8m, Shanghai Shenhua), Jake Batty (undisclosed, Swindon Town)
Oxford United
In: Myles Peart-Harris (undisclosed, Brentford), Jamie McDonnell (undisclosed, Nottingham Forest), Jeon Jin-woo (undisclosed, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Jamie Donley (loan, Spurs), Yunus Konak (loan, Brentford), Christ Makosso (loan, Luton Town), Ruben Roosken (loan, Huddersfield Town), Aidomo Emakhu (undisclosed, Millwall)
Out: Luke Harris (recalled by Fulham), Louie Sibley (loan, Bradford), Tom Bradshaw (loan, Barnsley), Matt Phillips (released), Stephan Negru (loan, Tranmere Rovers)
Sheffield Wednesday
In: Jaden Heskey (loan, Man City), Murphy Cooper (loan, QPR), Marvelous Nakamba (free, Luton Town), Jerry Yates (loan, Luton Town), Tayo Adaramola (loan, Crystal Palace), Joel Ndala (loan, Man City)
Out: Ethan Horvath (recalled by Cardiff) Harry Amass (recalled by Man Utd), Yisa Alao (undisclosed, Chelsea), Barry Bannan (undisclosed, Millwal), Bailey Cadamarteri (undisclosed, Wrexham)
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