The 10 best signings in the Championship this summer with one month of the transfer window to go

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We’re incredibly excited for the new Championship season to begin, but there’s still a whole month of the transfer window to go. So, who’s done the best business so far? Here are the ten best signings in the Championship this summer… so far.

With big teams like Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton dropping down to the second tier, and big spenders Wrexham and Birmingham City being promoted, there was always going to be some interesting transfer business this summer.

We’ve already seen some huge deals completed in the Championship, and there are sure to be plenty more to come, meaning lots of teams look very different ahead of the new campaign.

It makes anticipation for the 2025/26 Championship campaign high indeed, and there’s no telling what other top talent will arrive in the division before the 1st of September.

Until then, these are the ten best signings in the Championship so far this summer.

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Top 10 signings in the Championship so far this summer

10. Damian Downs to Southampton

Will Still is very happy with new boy Damian Downs, and we can’t blame him. The 21-year-old German-born striker is a big deal for the US national team, and he’s the kind of player who arrives in England with lots of hype and even more ability.

Costing Southampton around £7m, Downs didn’t come cheap, but if he can fire in the goals as expected, he’ll repay that fee very quickly. He’s already scored in pre-season, and we’ve a feeling he could be a contender for the Golden Boot award in 2025/26.

9. Charlie Kelman to Charlton Athletic

For some reason, QPR decided to sell Charlie Kelman this summer despite him being the League One top scorer in 2024/25. Charlton are the winners in that regard, though, and he’s the kind of signing that could be enough to keep the Addicks in the division.

He may end up costing them £5m, but the US striker bagged 21 goals in the third tier last season, plus another six in other competitions. If he can achieve even half of those numbers in the Championship, Charlton will be laughing.

8. Josh Windass to Wrexham

Wrexham have been splashing the cash, but they didn’t have to spend a penny on Josh Windass. He terminated his Sheffield Wednesday contract after going unpaid for a couple of months this summer, and joined the Red Dragons soon after.

With a wealth of Championship experience, 13 goals last season, and a fiery attitude that fits Wrexham down to a tee, Windass should end up being their best signing of the summer.

7. Ethan Galbraith to Swansea City

Swansea City secured an ‘unbelievable’ player in Ethan Galbraith this summer, despite interest from a number of other Championship clubs. The midfielder played a starring role for Leyton Orient last season, and he was always destined for the second tier, but the Swans grabbed a bargain really.

It’s thought he cost just £1.5m, which for a 24-year-old with the level of experience, influence, and talent of Galbraith, is astounding, really. Swansea were fairly anonymous last season, but the Northern Irish star can help them stand out from the crowd in 2025/26.

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6. Maksym Talovierov to Stoke City

Stoke City really struggled last season, but Mark Robins is determined to drag them out of the mire moving forward. The signing of Plymouth Argyle centre-half Maksym Talovierov goes a long way towards achieving that, and he’ll form a strong partnership with Ashley Phillips in 2025/26.

Talovierov only arrived in England in January, but he quickly impressed. He’s an absolute beast, and at just £2m he could be one of the best pound-for-pound signings we’ve seen in a while.

5. Kyogo Furuhashi to Birmingham City

Celtic fans have told Birmingham City how Kyogo Furuhashi could be a gamechanger for them. Essentially, if they feed him, he will score. He’s proven that up in Scotland before, and now he’s primed to do it in the EFL.

The Japanese star is lethal in the box, and with the service he’s likely to receive from wide areas at Birmingham, he really should be scoring 15-20 goals this season. He may have cost around £10m according to some reports, but goals cost money. Now, he just has to deliver and he could be one of the best signings in the Championship, period.

4. Alfie Doughty to Millwall

Despite interest from Middlesbrough all summer, Alfie Doughty opted to join Millwall and fans are delighted. They’re right to be excited, as they’ve just bagged a player who was holding his own in the Premier League just two seasons ago and who was knocking on the door for an England call-up.

Alex Neil has raved about Doughty already after he made his debut in pre-season, and with the Lions only just missing out on the play-offs last season, the left-sided star could make all the difference now.

3. Nestory Irankunda to Watford

Nestory Irankunda arrives at Watford with World Cup aspirations, and if he can deliver on the expectations already placed on his young shoulders, he will be playing in that tournament without a doubt.

Internal sources at Watford are very happy to have Irankunda on board. The deal to bring him to Vicarage Road is thought to have been no more than £2.5m, and while it includes a 50% sell-on clause for Bayern Munich, the Hornets have got themselves an absolute steal.

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2. Azor Matusiwa to Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town go into the new campaign as hot favourites to win the league, largely because they’ve managed to keep Kieran McKenna and most of their top players. The addition of Azor Matusiwa, however, could be the catalyst for any future success.

Matusiwa is expected to be a key player for Ipswich. They wanted him last summer when they were going into the Premier League and he’s now taken the drop down from Ligue 1 to join the Tractor Boys. He’s a big, dominant, dynamic midfielder who is going to absolutely boss the second tier.

1. Harry Darling to Norwich City

Good signings don’t have to cost the Earth, and Norwich City picked up the best signing in the Championship this summer for absolutely nothing. Harry Darling was wanted by a number of top clubs in the league, but it was Liam Manning who won the race for the former Swansea man.

Norwich had no trouble scoring last season, but defensive issues cost them a play-off place. Now, with Darling in place and Jakov Medic alongside him, those problems will be a thing of the past and we’d be very surprised if the Canaries aren’t celebrating promotion come May.