Angus Gunn – Norwich City £5 million
The Championship’s most expensive goalkeeper began the new campaign on the bench. And, unless Tim Krul suffers an almighty dip in form, he’s likely to stay there too.
The son of legendary Norwich stopper Bryann Gunn, 26-year-old Angus returned for a second spell at Carrow Road after that 9-0 pummelling by Leicester City brought an end to his Leicester City career.
In truth, things haven’t really improved for him since then.
Jayden Bogle – Sheffield United, £3.5 million
Joining in a Derby County double-deal alongside Max Lowe, a serious knee injury brought an end to Bogle’s 2021/22 campaign, denying him the chance to take on old adversaries Nottingham Forest in the play-off semi-finals.
According to Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom, however, Bogle is at least on the right track again.
“Everyone’s pleased with him. There will be no rush, just because of how tough the injury can be,” Heckingbottom explains to Yorkshire Live.
“He’s turned the corner in terms of reacting to things and everyone’s pleased with him. He’s got back up there with his strength, so we’ll start progressing things a little bit more.”
Tamas Kalas – Bristol City, £8 million
The only player in this XI not currently contracted to Norwich, Sheffield United, Burnley or West Brom, Kalas was supposed to take Bristol City to the next level when he arrived from Chelsea.
But the house that Lee Johnson built has gradually fallen into ruin in recent years, the play-off chasing side who famously knocked Manchester United out of the EFL Cup being broken up and sold on. These days, mid-table is probably the limit of Bristol City’s ambition.
Ben Gibson – Norwich City, £8 million
Perhaps the greatest example of a footballer ‘too good for the Championship, not quite good enough for the Premier League’, expect former Middlesbrough skipper Gibson to strike up a fearsome partnership with the similarly battle-scarred Grant Hanley as modern football’s ‘yo-yo club’ look to bounce back from yet another relegation.
Dimitrios Giannoulis – Norwich City, £6 million
Narrowly edging out Burnley’s Charlie Taylor, Giannoulis has a point to prove after a punishing spell in the top-flight. The Greek international’s swashbuckling style could come in handy for a side likely to dominate possession in most games this season, though a first-team place is far from guaranteed with Sam McCallum providing competition.
Jack Cork – Burnley, £10 million
A midfield of Cork, Josh Cullen, Samuel Bastien, Josh Brownhill and Ashley Westwood should have no problems running the show at Championship level. Cork, capped once by England, is the most expensive of the lot.
Sander Berge – Sheffield United, £22 million
With a hefty release clause seemingly putting off many an admirer, the Blades look set to retain arguably the Championship’s most gifted central midfielder for at least another season. Berge, Sheffield United’s record signing, was the colossus at the heart of Heckingbottom’s side in the second half of last term.
Ismaila Sarr – Watford, £27 million
Sarr tore the Championship to shreds without ever really getting out of fifth gear in 2020/21. If he’s fit and focused, the former Liverpool target should be the driving force behind yet another promotion charge at Vicarage Road.
Grady Diangana – West Brom £12m
After a couple of forgettable seasons for player and club, one of the biggest tasks facing Steve Bruce at the Hawthorns will be to coax the mercurial brilliance out of a winger West Brom once paid an initial £12 million for after a stellar loan spell with the Baggies.
Oli McBurnie – Sheffield United, £20 million
One half of an all-Sheffield United frontline, McBurnie didn’t score a single goal in 28 league games last term. In fact, he’s got just one in the last two seasons combined. Hardly the calling card of a £20 million targetman.
Rhian Brewster – Sheffield United, £23 million
Together, McBurnie and Brewster set Sheffield United back over £40 million. To say both players have failed to live up to their price-tags would be a contender for understatement of the century.
Brewster, unlike McBurnie, at least managed to find the net in 2021/22, albeit on just four occasions. Clearly, as Sheffield United fans will tell you, big-money signings are no guarantee of success.
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