The 2023/24 League Two season kicks off in less than a month’s time, and all 24 teams are preparing for that weekend.
Targets will have been set, and it is now about the club having the best transfer window they can to prepare them for the season ahead.
Pre-season is well underway for all sides, and that means the 24 League Two teams will be keen to get their incomings and outgoings done as soon as possible.
Here, we have taken a look at all the latest transfer news involving League Two…
Update emerges in Wrexham’s pursuit of Kal Naismith
League Two’s new boys Wrexham have been linked with a host of names since their return to the EFL, with one being Bristol City’s Kal Naismith.
But, according to BristolLive’s James Piercy, there is nothing in the links between Wrexham and Naismith.
It could never be ruled out that there might be something in this, considering the pull that Wrexham have this season, but it appears Naismith, who has been a key part of Nigel Pearson’s team since joining, is not a player that Wrexham will be signing.
Naismith still has two years remaining on his contract at Bristol City and will be expected to be a main feature in the Robins’ plans this season.
Newport County keen on ex-Sheffield United defender
Graham Coughlan is keen to bring former Sheffield United centre-back Kyron Gordon to Newport County this summer, according to Alan Nixon on his Patreon account.
The 21-year-old is a free agent after being released from Sheffield United last month along with a host of other players.
Gordon is a graduate of the Sheffield United academy and a player who did go on to make it into the first team.
However, he wasn’t given many opportunities to impress, spending most of his time at the club either in the academy or on loan.
The defender hasn’t managed to appear on a regular basis in the EFL, with his loans being in non-league, so this could be his first chance with a move to Newport.
MK Dons striker rejects deal and joins Rotherham United on trial
MK Dons forward Sullay Kaikai has rejected the offer of a new contract at the League Two side and has now joined Rotherham United on trial, according to Sunday Sports Mirror Editor Darren Witcoop
Kaikai has turned down the chance to remain with the MK Dons, which now means he is a free agent this summer.
So, the versatile forward is trying to earn a contract elsewhere and has joined the Millers on their pre-season trip to Spain.
Kaikai came through the ranks at Crystal Palace but is best known for his spells in the EFL at various football clubs. He left Wycombe Wanderers and signed for MK Dons in January of this year, with the forward scoring two goals as the club were relegated to League Two.
Rotherham boss Matt Taylor was asked by the club’s official website on Kaikai joining their pre-season trip.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for him to impress, work hard and fit in with the lads and be a good player, which we know he is
Kaikai has turned down the chance to remain with the MK Dons, which now means he is a free agent this summer.
So, the versatile forward is trying to earn a contract elsewhere and has joined the Millers on their pre-season trip to Spain.
Kaikai came through the ranks at Crystal Palace but is best known for his spells in the EFL at various football clubs. He left Wycombe Wanderers and signed for MK Dons in January of this year, with the forward scoring two goals as the club were relegated to League Two.
Rotherham boss Matt Taylor was asked by the club’s official website on Kaikai joining their pre-season trip.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for him to impress, work hard and fit in with the lads and be a good player, which we know he is
Nigel Pearson has made it no secret that a large part of the rebuilding job he has done at Bristol City since his appointment in February 2021 has been trying to cut the sizeable wage bill in order to stay within Financial Fair Play guidelines.
The Championship club, under former CEO Mark Ashton, was happy to splash the cash and hand out big contracts in the pursuit of promotion under Lee Johnson but the Robins fell short and have been dealing with the consequences since.
“It’s been hard to make progress,” Pearson told the Daily Mail back in February. “Sometimes, it’s been like swimming against the current while wearing a lead jacket. But we are making progress.”
Now, there is newfound positivity ahead of the 2023/24 campaign when the feeling among large swathes of the Ashton Gate faithful is quiet optimism. A feeling that perhaps, should Alex Scott stick around or the club invest the sizeable fee it will take to prize him away well, this could be their year – despite the fact many consider the Championship field as competitive now as it has been for some time
With the start of the season approaching we’ve taken a look at the club’s current wage bill with the help of Capology.
It’s important to stress that while Capology offers us insight into the club’s wage bill, it is not 100% accurate. The salaries of summer 2023 signings are unavailable while many of the other players are only estimates
What is the average weekly wage of at Bristol City in 2023/24?
The average wage per player at City for the 2023/24 season is £8,339 per week.
That is the lowest it has been since 2018/19 – down from £10,308 per week in 2022/23, from £10,466 per week in 2021/22, from £10,034 in 2020/21, and £10,373 in 2019/20.
The Robins’ current average wage per player is slightly lower than Severnside rivals Cardiff City (£8,824 per week) – though Capology is yet to take into account what new signings, such as Aaron Ramsey, are being paid.
Unsurprisingly, it’s also significantly lower than the three teams relegated from the Premier League – Leeds United (£30,606 per week), Leicester City (£48,180 per week), and Southampton (£33,427 per week) – which speaks to just how tough mounting a promotion challenge is for clubs like City.
Who is the highest earner at Bristol City in 2023/24?
Midfielder Matty James is the highest earner at the club on £27,500 per week, according to Capology.
31-year-old has bags of experience, is a real leader, and has played at the highest level so it’s no real surprise to see him at the top of the list.
Capology also have Nahki Wells on £27,500 per week, which is what he was on last term as well, but Pearson revealed that when the striker signed his extension in December 2022 that he had taken a pay-cut.
Bristol City’s highest earners
The only other player at the South West club that earns more than £20,000 per week is club captain and forward Andi Weimann, who is on £22,500 per week.
Centre-back Rob Atkinson (£15,000 per week), utility man Kai Naismith (£15,000 per week), forward Harry Cornick (£15,000 per week), and midfielder Joe Williams (£11,538 per week) are among the other higher earners.
The weekly salaries of new signings such as Rob Dickie, Jason Knight, Ross McCrorie, and Haydon Roberts have not yet been published.
- Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with Italian giants AC Milan over a potential loan deal.
- The Owls reportedly want to bring Colombian goalkeeper Devis Vazquez to the club.
- Vazquez joined Milan in January but is yet to make a senior appearance for the club..
Despite Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship campaign getting underway in just a matter of days, there is no doubt still plenty of transfer business to be done for the Owls to fill some rather gaping holes in their squad
Arguably, this applies none more so than to the goalkeeping position, where the Owls have Cameron Dawson as their only senior option at present.
This summer, the Owls were linked with a move for Burnley’s Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Of course, that would have seen Peacock-Farrell return to Hillsborough having been on loan at the club in 2021/22.
With the Northern Irish international instead opting to join Danish side Aarhus, it was seemingly back to square one for the Owls in their goalkeeping pursuit.
It appears that may no longer be the case, though, with the club having been linked with another shot-stopper on Saturday afternoon.
What is the latest Sheffield Wednesday transfer news?
According to Sky Sports transfer centre, Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with Italian giants AC Milan over a potential deal for Colombian goalkeeper Devis Vazquez.
Who is Devis Vazquez?
As touched upon above, Deviz Vazquez is a 25-year-old goalkeeper from Colombia currently playing for AC Milan.
We use the word ‘playing’ very lightly there, though, given that he is still yet to make his senior debut for the club having joined back in January.
Prior to his arrival at San Siro, Vazquez played for Club Guarani, a club in the first division of Parguay whom he made a total of 31 appearances for.
Prior to that, Vazquez was on the books at Colo,bian side Boyaca Patriotas FC, but never made a senior performance for the club.
How long does Devis Vazquez have left on his AC Milan contract?
Given that the goalkeeper only recently joined the club back in January, he still has quite some time left on his current deal in Italy.
Indeed, Vazquez is contracted to Milan until the summer of 2026 having put pen to paper on a three and a half year deal upon his arrival in Europe.
With a loan deal, length of contract, fortunately, may not be too much of a factor for Sheffield Wednesday.
How much will Devis Vazquez cost?
The same can be said about any potential transfer fee, which should also be irrelevant given it is a loan deal being discussed.
Of course, loan deals can include options or obligations to make a permanent purchase at the end of a temporary spell. However, the Sky report does not mention anything of the sort.
Would Devis Vazquez be a good signing for Sheffield Wednesday?
On the surface of it, this seems as though it would be a good deal for Sheffield Wednesday simply in the sense that they would be getting another goalkeeper through the door, which is very much needed.
As for how good Vazquez is, given he is at AC Milan, you are inclined to suggest he must have plenty of talent.
The 2023/24 Championship season is almost upon us and it shaping up to be another exciting campaign.
It is likely to be an incredibly competitive division next season, with Southampton, Leeds United and Leicester City all expected to challenge for an instant return to the Premier League, while Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to make an impact after their promotions from League One.
With a month left to go in the transfer window, managers across the league will be looking to do business which could define their prospects in the upcoming campaign.
As the countdown to the new season continues, we ranked the 24 Championship clubs in order of their annual wage bill.
All figures are according to Capology and it should be stressed that it is an estimate.
The newly-promoted Pilgrims have the lowest wage bill in the division.
Argyle won the League One title last season despite operating with a smaller budget than many of their promotion rivals and Steven Schumacher will be hoping to defy the odds again in the second tier.
The Pilgrims broke their transfer record this summer to sign Morgan Whittaker from Swansea City before equalling it the same week with the addition of Bali Mumba from Norwich City, but the club will ensure they do not spend beyond their means in pursuit of success.
It is perhaps surprising to see the Sky Blues so low down on this list, but it underlines what an outstanding job Mark Robins has done at the club.
After losing on penalties to Luton Town in the Championship play-off final, Coventry lost star striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon for close to £20 million and they will be hoping Ellis Simms can replace the Swede’s goals after his £8 million move from Everton.
The Millers finally achieved their objective of staying in the Championship last season after years of bouncing between the second and third tier.
It will be tough for Matt Taylor’s side to repeat the feat given their modest resources, but as they proved last term, they should not be written off.
Millwall spent much of the season inside the play-off places, but they suffered heartbreak as they fell out of the top six on the final day of the campaign after a 4-3 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
It would be no surprise to see the Lions challenge again next season as Gary Rowett continues to do an excellent job despite the club having one of the division’s lower wage bills.
