Manchester City stepped up their bid to prise Alexis Sanchez away from Arsenal on Thursday's transfer deadline day.
City were determined to test the Gunners' resolve to hold on to Sanchez by making a second bid for the Chile forward, Press Association Sport understands.
Sanchez has a year remaining on his contract and could leave for nothing next summer - and his future could be the biggest story of a deadline day which is expected to be busy for the Premier League's elite.
Arsenal have already sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to Liverpool for £35million, while Serge Aurier joined Tottenham from Paris St Germain in a £23m move.
Swansea completed a coup by signing Renato Sanches, the Portugal international midfielder, on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.
And Swansea could re-sign Wilfried Bony from Manchester City after having a £12m bid accepted.
Bony appears likely to be a replacement for Fernando Llorente, the Spain striker who could join Aurier at Tottenham.
Llorente had been expected to be reunited with Antonio Conte - his former boss at Juventus - at Chelsea, but negotiations with Spurs are more advanced.
Chelsea had been linked with Oxlade-Chamberlain, too, and could be left frustrated once more.
Conte has repeatedly spoken of the need for the Premier League champions to add to their thin squad, but they are leaving it late with the deadline at 2300BST on Thursday.
The likes of Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater and injured Everton forward Ross Barkley have also been linked with the Blues.
Drinkwater has handed in a transfer request at Leicester and Demarai Gray has also asked to be allowed to move on, with Bournemouth having had a £25million bid rejected on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez, a key figure in Leicester's surprise title triumph, has been allowed to leave the Algeria squad and return to Europe to "formalise his transfer to his new club", the Algerian Football Federation announced late on Wednesday.
Roma have had three bids rejected for the 26-year-old, the third for £32million.
The likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are also reported to be interested in Mahrez, who was PFA Player of the Year in 2016.
Arsenal will be expected to recruit should Sanchez be sold, contrary to earlier claims from manager Arsene Wenger, who said he would rather hold on to the former Barcelona man and allow him to leave for nothing at the end of the season.
Sanchez on Twitter 'liked' a message which said he was staying at Arsenal. The tweet included a video of an Arsenal fan singing a version of East 17's 'Stay Now' which was penned in tribute to the Chilean.
There were suggestions earlier in the week the Gunners might be interested in a player exchange for England forward Raheem Sterling, but City distanced themselves from that possibility.
Defenders Jonny Evans of West Brom and Virgil van Dijk of Southampton have also been linked with City, who have accepted a bid of more than £20m for Eliaquim Mangala. Liverpool could also move for Dutchman Van Dijk.
Manchester United, after three wins from three games, appear unlikely to be busy on deadline day, unless an irresistible opportunity arises.
And Jose Mourinho may be content to watch his rivals - and former club Chelsea - trying to augment their squads.
Philippe Coutinho has been linked with Barcelona, although Liverpool insist the Brazilian is not for sale. The Reds have let Divock Origi leave on loan for the season at Wolfsburg.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa could also move to Spain, where the transfer window runs for another day.
Costa is in a stand-off with Chelsea and agitating for a return to Atletico Madrid, with a potential deal complicated by the fact the Spanish club are unable to register new players until January.
The only other completed deals by 1500BST on Thursday, eight hours prior to the deadline, saw Nahki Wells join Burnley from Huddersfield for an undisclosed fee.
And Watford signed goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis on a season-long loan from Udinese.
CLUB-BY-CLUB SUMMER TRANSFERS GUIDE
PREMIER LEAGUE
(at 17.00)
ARSENAL
Ins: Sead Kolasinac (Schalke, free), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, £45m)
Outs: Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, loan), Stefan O'Connor (Newcastle, free), Kaylen Hinds (Wolfsburg, undisclosed), Glen Kamara (Dundee, free), Marc Bola (Bristol Rovers, loan), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus, £11m), Yaya Sanogo (Toulouse, free), Stephy Mavididi (Preston, loan), Carl Jenkinson (Birmingham, loan), Cohen Bramall (Birmingham, loan), Gabriel Paulista (Valencia, undisclosed), Ismael Bennacer (Empoli, undisclosed), Savvas Mourgos (Norwich, undisclosed), Jon Toral (Hull, undisclosed), Kieran Gibbs (West Brom, £7m), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool, undisclosed)
BOURNEMOUTH
Ins: Jermain Defoe (Sunderland, free), Nathan Ake (Chelsea, £19m), Asmir Begovic (Chelsea, £9m), Connor Mahoney (Blackburn, compensation fee)
Outs: Mark Travers (Weymouth, loan), Ryan Allsop (Blackpool, loan), Lewis Grabban (Sunderland, loan), Ben Whitfield (Port Vale, loan), Harry Cornick (Luton, undisclosed), Max Gradel (Toulouse, loan), Jordan Green (Yeovil, free), Baily Cargill (Fleetwood, loan), Mihai Dobre (Bury, loan)
BRIGHTON
Ins: Mathew Ryan (Valencia, £5m), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt, £3.8m), Pascal Gross (Ingolstadt, £2.5m), Mathias Normann (FK Bodo/Glimt, undisclosed), Izzy Brown (Chelsea, loan), Davy Propper (PSV Eindhoven, undisclosed), Soufyan Ahannach (Almere City, undisclosed), Jose Izquierdo (Club Brugge, undisclosed)
Outs: Vegard Forren (released), David Stockdale (Birmingham, free), Chris O'Grady (Chesterfield, free), Elvis Manu (Genclerbirligi, free), Christian Walton (Wigan, loan), Rob Hunt (Oldham, loan), Oliver Norwood (Fulham, loan), Tom Dallison (Accrington, loan), Tyler Forbes (Accrington, loan), Kazenga LuaLua (QPR, loan), Archie Davies (Whitehawk, loan), Rohan Ince (Bury, loan)
BURNLEY
Ins: Jack Cork (Swansea, £7.7m), Jon Walters (Stoke, £1.9m), Charlie Taylor (Leeds, compensation), Phil Bardsley (Stoke, undisclosed), Adam Legzdins (Birmingham, undisclosed), Chris Wood (Leeds, undisclosed), Nahki Wells (Huddersfield, undisclosed)
Outs: Michael Keane (Everton, £30million), Joey Barton (released), Michael Kightly (Southend, free), Josh Ginnelly (Lincoln, loan), George Boyd (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Rouwen Hennings (Fortuna Dusseldorf, free), Paul Robinson (retired), Chris Long (Northampton, loan), Alex Whitmore (Bury, loan), Aiden O'Neill (Fleetwood, loan), Tendayi Darikwa (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Conor Mitchell (Chester, loan), Andre Gray (Watford, £18.5m), Luke Hendrie (Bradford, loan), Tom Anderson (Port Vale, loan)
CHELSEA
Ins: Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco, £34m), Antonio Rudiger (Roma, £29m), Willy Caballero (Manchester City, free), Ethan Ampadu (Exeter, compensation), Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid, undisclosed)
Outs: John Terry (Aston Villa, free), Nathan Ake (Bournemouth, £19m), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus, £17.3million), Asmir Begovic (Bournemouth, £9m), Bertrand Traore (Lyon, £8.8million), Christian Atsu (Newcastle, £6.8m), Nathaniel Chalobah (Watford, £4.8m), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Crystal Palace, loan), Dominic Solanke (Liverpool, compensation), Alex Kiwomya (Doncaster, free), Tammy Abraham (Swansea, loan), Bradley Collins (Forest Green, loan), Ola Aina (Hull, loan), Lucas Piazon (Fulham, loan), Ike Ugbo (Barnsley, loan), Marco van Ginkel (PSV Eindhoven, loan), Mukhtar Ali (Vitesse Arnhem, undisclosed), Jay Dasilva (Charlton, loan), Kurt Zouma (Stoke, loan), Mason Mount (Vitesse Arnhem, loan), Izzy Brown (Brighton, loan), Tomas Kalas (Fulham, loan), Michael Hector (Hull, loan), Matt Miazga (Vitesse Arnhem, loan), Nemanja Matic (Manchester United, undisclosed), Kasey Palmer (Huddersfield, loan), Lewis Baker (Middlesbrough, loan), Jeremie Boga (Birmingham, loan), Jordan Houghton (Doncaster, loan)
CRYSTAL PALACE
Ins: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea, loan), Jairo Riedewald (Ajax, undisclosed), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Manchester United, loan)
Outs: Steve Mandanda (Marseille, £6.8m), Fraizer Campbell (Hull, free), Joe Ledley (released), Mathieu Flamini (released), Kwesi Appiah (AFC Wimbledon, free), Luke Croll (Exeter, free), Zeki Fryers (Barnsley, free),
EVERTON
Ins: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea, undisclosed), Jordan Pickford (Sunderland, £30m), Michael Keane (Burnley, £30m), Davy Klaassen (Ajax, £23.5m), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, undisclosed), Henry Onyekuru (Eupen, £7m), Sandro Ramirez (Malaga, £5.2m), Cuco Martina (Southampton, free)
Outs: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United, £75m), Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona, £10m), Tom Cleverley (Watford, £7.9m), Russell Griffiths (Motherwell, free), Conor McAleny (Fleetwood, free), Brendan Galloway (Sunderland, loan), Josef Yarney (Newcastle, free), Tyias Browning (Sunderland, loan), Aiden McGeady (Sunderland, undisclosed), Courtney Duffus (Oldham, undisclosed), Matthew Pennington (Leeds, loan), Joe Williams (Barnsley, loan), Kieran Dowell (Nottingham Forest, loan), Antonee Robinson (Bolton, loan), Arouna Kone (Sivasspor, free), Gareth Barry (West Brom, undisclosed), Conor Grant (Crewe, loan)
HUDDERSFIELD
Ins: Steve Mounie (Montpellier, £11m), Aaron Mooy (Manchester City, £10m), Tom Ince (Derby, £7m), Mathias Jorgensen (FC Copenhagen, £3.5m), Laurent Depoitre (Porto, £3.4m), Scott Malone (Fulham, £3.2m), Elias Kachunga (Ingolstadt, £1.1m), Danny Williams (Reading, free), Jonas Lossl (Mainz, loan), Kasey Palmer (Chelsea, loan), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Nurnberg, undisclosed), Florent Hadergjonaj (Ingolstadt, loan), Rob Green (unattached, free)
Outs: Tareiq Holmes-Dennis (Portsmouth, loan), Rekeil Pyke (Port Vale, loan), Jordy Hiwula (Fleetwood, loan), Fraser Horsfall (Gateshead, loan), Harry Bunn (Bury, undisclosed), Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood, undisclosed), Jack Payne (Oxford, loan), Mark Hudson (retired), Sean Scannell (Burton, loan), Jordan Williams (Bury, loan), Nahki Wells (Burnley, undisclosed)
LEICESTER
Ins: Harry Maguire (Hull, £17m), Vicente Iborra (Sevilla, £12.75m), Eldin Jakupovic (Hull, £2.25m), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, £25m), George Thomas (Coventry, undisclosed)
Outs: Ron-Robert Zieler (Stuttgart, £3.4m), Bartosz Kapustka (Freiburg, loan), Callum Elder (Wigan, loan), Marcin Wasilewski (released), Harvey Barnes (Barnsley, loan), Tom Lawrence (Derby, undisclosed)
LIVERPOOL
Ins: Mohamed Salah (Roma, £34.3m), Dominic Solanke (Chelsea, compensation), Andy Robertson (Hull, undisclosed), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal, undisclosed)
Outs: Lucas Leiva (Lazio, £5m), Andre Wisdom (Derby, £1.95m), Ryan Fulton (Hamilton, free), Kevin Stewart (Hull, undisclosed), Adam Phillips (Norwich, free), Alex Manninger (retired), Sheyi Ojo (Fulham, loan), Divock Origi (Wolfsburg, loan), Allan Rodrigues de Souza (Apollon Limassol, loan)
MANCHESTER CITY
Ins: Kyle Walker (Tottenham, £45m), Bernardo Silva (Monaco, £43m), Ederson (Benfica, £35m), Douglas Luiz (Vasco Da Gama, £10m), Danilo (Real Madrid, £27m), Benjamin Mendy (Monaco, £49.4m), Olarenwaju Kayode (Austria Vienna, undisclosed)
Outs: Joe Hart (West Ham, loan), Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham, free), Gael Clichy (Istanbul Basaksehir, free), Jesus Navas (Sevilla, free), Willy Caballero (Chelsea, free), Bacary Sagna (released), Angus Gunn (Norwich, loan), Enes Unal (Villarreal, £12m), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield, £10m), Nolito (Sevilla, £7.9m), Bersant Celina (Ipswich, loan), Ruben Sobrino (Alaves, undisclosed), Joe Coveney (Nottingham Forest, free), Olivier Ntcham (Celtic, undisclosed), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, loan), Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma, undisclosed), Rodney Kongolo (Doncaster, loan), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester, £25m), Fernando (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Thierry Ambrose (NAC Breda, loan), Paolo Fernandes (NAC Breda, loan), Pablo Mari (NAC Breda, loan), Douglas Luiz (Girona, loan), Aleix Garcia (Girona, loan), Marlos Moreno (Girona, loan), Samir Nasri (Antalyaspor, undisclosed), Brandon Barker (Hibernian, loan), Olarenwaju Kayode (Girona, loan)
MANCHESTER UNITED
Ins: Romelu Lukaku (Everton, £75m), Victor Lindelof (Benfica, £30.75m), Nemanja Matic (Chelsea, undisclosed), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (free),
Outs: Wayne Rooney (Everton, undisclosed), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (released), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad, £9.8m), Josh Harrop (Preston, undisclosed), Regan Poole (Northampton, loan), Sam Johnstone (Aston Villa, loan), Dean Henderson (Shrewsbury, loan), Devonte Redmond (Scunthorpe, loan), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Leeds, loan), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Crystal Palace, loan), Matty Willock (Utrecht, loan)
NEWCASTLE
Ins: Jacob Murphy (Norwich, £12m), Florian Lejeune (Eibar, £8.7m), Christian Atsu (Chelsea, £6.8m), Stefan O'Connor (Arsenal, free), Javier Manquillo (Atletico Madrid, £4.5m), Mikel Merino (Borussia Dortmund, loan), Joselu (Stoke, £5m)
Outs: Florian Thauvin (Marseille, £9.3m), Matz Sels (Anderlecht, season loan), Alex Gilliead (Bradford, loan), Sammy Ameobi (Bolton, free), Yoan Gouffran (Goztepe, free), Haris Vuckic (FC Twente, free), Adam Armstrong (Bolton, loan), Sean Longstaff (Blackpool, loan), Daryl Murphy (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Ivan Toney (Wigan, loan), Vurnon Anita (Leeds, free), Emmanuel Riviere (Metz, undisclosed), Siem de Jong (Ajax, undisclosed), Grant Hanley (Norwich, undisclosed)
SOUTHAMPTON
Ins: Jan Bednarek (Lech Poznan, £5m), Mario Lemina (Juventus, £15.6m), Wesley Hoedt (Lazio, £15m)
Outs: Jay Rodriguez (West Brom, £11.6m), Cuco Martina (Everton, free), Harrison Reed (Norwich, loan), Jason McCarthy (Barnsley, undisclosed), Lloyd Isgrove (Barnsley, free), Olufela Olomola (Yeovil, loan), Harry Lewis (Dundee United, loan), Martin Caceres (Hellas Verona, free), Ryan Seager (MK Dons, loan), Sam Gallagher (Birmingham, loan), Paulo Gazzaniga (Tottenham, undisclosed), Jordy Clasie (Club Brugge, loan)
STOKE
Ins: Darren Fletcher (West Brom, free), Josh Tymon (Hull, undisclosed), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea, loan), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Schalke, free), Bruno Martins Indi (Porto, £7m), Jese Rodriguez (Paris St Germain, loan), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham, £18m)
Outs: Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa, £2m), Shay Given (released), Daniel Bachmann (Watford, free), Jon Walters (Burnley, £1.9m), Marko Arnautovic (West Ham, undisclosed), Phil Bardsley (Burnley, undisclosed), Ryan Sweeney (Bristol Rovers, loan) Dominic Telford (Bristol Rovers, loan), Marc Muniesa (Girona, loan), Joselu (Newcastle, £5m), Giannelli Imbula (Toulouse, loan), Philipp Wollscheid (Metz, free)
SWANSEA
Ins: Roque Mesa (Las Palmas, £11m), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea, loan), Cian Harries (Coventry, undisclosed), Erwin Mulder (Heerenveen, free), Sam Clucas (Hull, £16.5m), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich, loan)
Outs: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton, undisclosed), Jack Cork (Burnley, £7.5m), Bafetimbi Gomis (Galatasaray, £2m), Gerhard Tremmel (retired), Marvin Emnes (released), Liam Shephard (released), Josh Vickers (Lincoln, free), Owain Jones (released), Tom Dyson (released), Tom Holland (released), Alex Samuel (Stevenage, undisclosed), Liam Edwards (Hull, free), Daniel James (Shrewsbury, loan), Borja Baston (Malaga, loan), Jordi Amat (Real Betis, loan), Connor Roberts (Middlesbrough, loan), Mo Barrow (Reading, undisclosed), Franck Tabanou (Guingamp, free), Matt Grimes (Northampton, loan), Stephen Kingsley (Hull, undisclosed)
TOTTENHAM
Ins: Davinson Sanchez (Ajax, undisclosed), Paulo Gazzaniga (Southampton, undisclosed), Juan Foyth (Estudiantes, undisclosed), Serge Aurier (Paris St Germain, undisclosed)
Outs: Kyle Walker (Manchester City, £45m), Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke, £16m), Clinton Njie (Marseille, £5.95m), Federico Fazio (Roma, £2.7m), Connor Ogilvie (Gillingham, loan), Luke McGee (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Josh Onomah (Aston Villa, loan), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Sheffield United, loan), Kevin Wimmer (Stoke, £18m)
WATFORD
Ins: Will Hughes (Derby, £7.7m), Tom Cleverley (Everton, £7.9m), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea, £4.85m), Kiko Femenia (Alaves, undisclosed), Sam Howes (West Ham, undisclosed), Daniel Bachmann (Stoke, free), Richarlison (Fluminense, £13m), Andre Gray (Burnley, £18.5m), Andre Carrillo (Benfica, loan), Orestis Karnezis (Udinese, loan)
Outs: Mario Suarez (Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng FC, undisclosed), Rene Gilmartin (released), Mathias Ranegie (released), Dennon Lewis (Crawley, loan), Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord, undisclosed), Obbi Oulare (Royal Antwerp, loan), Valon Behrami (Udinese, undisclosed)
WEST BROM
Ins: Jay Rodriguez (Southampton, £11.6m), Zhang Yuning (Vitesse, undisclosed), Ahmed Hegazi (Al Ahly, loan), Gareth Barry (Everton, undisclosed), Oliver Burke (RB Leipzig, undisclosed), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal, £7m), Grzegorz Krychowiak (PSG, loan)
Outs: Darren Fletcher (Stoke, free), Craig Gardner (Birmingham, £1.5m), Sebastien Pocognoli (Standard Liege, free), Zhang Yuning (Werder Bremen, loan), Kyle Howkins (Cambridge, loan), Shaun Donnellan (Walsall, loan), Tyler Roberts (Walsall, loan), Jonathan Leko (Bristol City, loan), Kane Wilson (Exeter, loan), Kyle Edwards (Exeter, loan)
WEST HAM
Ins: Joe Hart (Manchester City, loan), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City, free), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke, undisclosed), Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen, £16m), Sead Haksabanovic (Halmstads BK, undisclosed)
Outs: Havard Nordtveit (Hoffenheim, £5.95m), Enner Valencia (Tigres, undisclosed), Reece Oxford (Borussia Monchengladbach, loan), Raphael Spiegel (Boavista, free), Stephen Hendrie (Southend, free), Alvaro Arbeloa (retired), Sam Howes (Watford, undisclosed), George Dobson (Sparta Rotterdam, undisclosed), Jack Fitzwater (Forest Green, loan), Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough, £5m), Ashley Fletcher (Middlesbrough, £6.5m), Josh Cullen (Bolton, loan), Reece Burke (Bolton, loan), Kyle Knoyle (Swindon, free), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, £4m), Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa, loan)
:: Reported transfer fees, confirmed where available
CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB-BY-CLUB SUMMER TRANSFERS GUIDE
ASTON VILLA
Manager: Steve Bruce
Position last season: 13th
Nickname: Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,660
Players in: John Terry (Chelsea, free), Sam Johnstone (Manchester United, loan), Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull, undisclosed), Glenn Whelan (£1.25million), Chris Samba (Unattached, free), Josh Onomah (Tottenham, loan), Robert Snodgrass (West Ham, loan)
Players out: Libor Kozak, Johan Abdoul, Riccardo Calder, Henry Cowans, Rory Hale, Tom Leggett, Joe Linley, Joonas Sundman (all released), Niall Mason (Doncaster, undisclosed), Jerell Sellars (Cheltenham, free), Jordan Veretout (Fiorentina, undisclosed), Nathan Baker (Bristol City, undisclosed), Aaron Tshibola (MK Dons, loan), Jordan Amavi (Marseille, loan), Leandro Bacuna (Reading, undisclosed), Kevin Toner (Stevenage, loan)
Key man: John Terry
Chances: Signing former England and Chelsea captain John Terry was a huge statement of intent. Returning to the Premier League is the aim and in Steve Bruce, in his first full season in charge, they have a manager who knows the division well, having won promotion from the Championship four times. Villa will be there or thereabouts but Bruce needs to trim down his huge squad before the transfer window closes.
BARNSLEY
Manager: Paul Heckingbottom
Position last season: 14th
Nickname: Reds
Ground: Oakwell
Capacity: 23,287
Players in: Stevie Mallan (St Mirren, undisclosed), Jason McCarthy (Southampton, undisclosed), Liam Lindsay (Partick Thistle, undisclosed), Ethan Pinnock (Forest Green, undiscliosed), Cameron McGeehan (Luton, undisclosed), Zeki Fryers (Crystal Palace, free), Lloyd Isgrove (Southampton, free), Ike Ugbo (Chelsea, loan), Joe Williams (Everton, loan), Brad Potts (Blackpool, undisclosed), Matty Pearson (Accrington, undisclosed), Mamadou Thiam (Dijon, undisclosed), Harvey Barnes (Leicester, loan), Dimitri Cavare (Rennes, undisclosed)
Players out: James Carvell , Jake Charles, Jack Cowgill, Lewin Nyatanga, George Proctor, Matty Templeton, Aidy White (all released), Josh Scowen (QPR, free), Marc Roberts (Birmingham, undisclosed), Marley Watkins (Norwich, free), Callum Evans (Forest Green, free), Omari Patrick (Bradford, free), Ryan Williams (Rotherham, free), Elliot Lee (Luton, free), Kayden Jackson (Accrington, undisclosed), Cole Kpekawa (Colchester, undisclosed), Stefan Payne (Shrewsbury, undisclosed)
Key man: George Moncur
Chances: Barnsley enjoyed a solid first season back in the Championship following promotion and a repeat of their mid-table finish should be regarded as a successful campaign, particularly if they can manage a top-half finish. Losing captain Marc Roberts to Birmingham is a blow and he will be difficult to replace.
BIRMINGHAM
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Position last season: 19th
Nickname: Blues
Ground: St Andrew's
Capacity: 30,016
Players in: Craig Gardner (West Brom, undisclosed), David Stockdale (Brighton, free), Marc Roberts (Barnsley, undisclosed), Cheikh N'Doye (Angers, free), Isaac Vassell (Luton, undisclosed), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal, loan), Cohen Bramall (Arsenal, loan), Sam Gallagher (Southampton, loan), Jeremie Boga (Chelsea, loan), Jeremie Boga (Chelsea, loan), Harlee Dean (Brentford, undisclosed), Jason Lowe (Unattached, free)
Players out: Charlee Adams, Koby Arthur, Noe Baba, George O'Neill (all released), Andrew Shinnie (Luton, loan), Greg Stewart (Aberdeen, loan), Reece Brown (Forest Green, free), Charlie Cooper (Forest Green, free), Josh Tibbetts (Peterborough, free), Kerim Frei (Istanbul Basaksehir F.K, undisclosed), Diego Fabbrini (Real Oviedo, loan), Viv Solomon-Otabor (Blackpool, loan), Adam Legzdins (Burnley, undisclosed), Ryan Shotton (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Robert Tesche (Vfl Bochum, loan)
Key man: Craig Gardner
Chances: Harry Redknapp worked his magic last season to keep Birmingham in the division and persuading him to remain as manager is a huge coup for the club. Blues have made some really strong signings and with more new faces expected at St Andrew's, don't be surprised if Redknapp has them challenging for a play-off place this time round.
BOLTON
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Position last season: 2nd in League One
Nickname: The Trotters
Ground: Macron Stadium
Capacity: 28,723
Players in: Andrew Taylor (Wigan, free), Adam le Fondre (Cardiff, free), Mark Little (Bristol City, free), Will Buckley (Sunderland, free), Stephen Darby (Bradford, free), Sammy Ameobi (Newcastle, free), Adam Armstrong (Newcastle, loan), Josh Cullen (West Ham, loan), Reece Burke (West Ham, loan), Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City, undisclosed), Antonee Robinson (Everton, loan)
Players out: Jay Spearing, Lewis Buxton, Mark Davies, Will Jaaskelainen, Reece Wabara, Tom Walker, Liam Trotter, Dorian Dervite, Sam Lavelle, George Newell, Hyuga Tanner (all released), Jamie Proctor (Rotherham, undisclosed), Conor Wilkinson (Gillingham, undisclosed), Lawrie Wilson (Port Vale, free), Dean Moxey (Exeter, free), Max Clayton (Blackpool, free)
Key man: David Wheater
Chances: Bolton bounced back at the first time of asking with promotion from League One but even after only 12 months away the level of the Championship has increased and it is as difficult and competitive as it has ever been. They are not there merely to make up the numbers but survival would be an achievement. Much will depend on Parkinson's recruitment.
BRENTFORD
Manager: Dean Smith
Position last season: 10th
Nickname: The Bees
Ground: Griffin Park
Capacity: 12,300
Players in: Theo Archibald (Celtic, undisclosed), Henrik Dalsgaard (Zulte Waregem, undisclosed), Luke Daniels (Scunthorpe, free), Kamo Mokotjo (FC Twente, undisclosed), Neal Maupay (St Etienne, undisclosed), Ollie Watkins (Exeter, undisclosed)
Players out: Dimi Kyriatzis, Dominic Kurasic, Danny Parish (all released), Philipp Hofmann (Greuther Furth, undisclosed), Jack Bonham (Carlisle, loan), Akaki Gogia (Dynamo Dresden, undisclosed), James Ferry (Stevenage, undisclosed), Konstantin Kerschbaumer (Arminia Bielefeld, loan), Alan McCormack (Luton, free), Tom Field (Bradford, loan), Reece Cole (Newport, loan), Harlee Dean (Birmingham, undisclosed)
Key man: Lasse Vibe
Chances: After reaching the play-offs during their first season back in the Championship in 2014/15, Brentford have finished ninth and 10th. Expect the gradual decline to continue but the Bees might still manage another top-half finish.
BRISTOL CITY
Manager: Lee Johnson
Position last season: 17th
Nickname: Robins
Ground: Ashton Gate
Capacity: 27,000
Players in: Eros Pisano (Hellas Verona, free), Famara Diedhiou (Angers, £5.3million), Nathan Baker (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Niclas Eliasson (IFK Norrkoping, undisclosed), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham, loan), Jonathan Leko (West Brom, loan)
Players out: Osagi Bascome (released), Lee Tomlin (Cardiff, undisclosed), Mark Little (Bolton, free), Aaron Wilbraham (Bolton, undisclosed), Freddie Hinds (Cheltenham, loan), Taylor Moore (Cheltenham, loan), Joe Morrell (Cheltenham, loan), Diego De Girolamo (Chesterfield, loan)
Key man: Aden Flint
Chances: City have amassed 52 points and 54 points in their two seasons back in the Championship, saving themselves from relegation on the penultimate day of the last campaign. That steady progression will need to continue if they are to stay up again. Survival was down to a strong finish which saw just three defeats in the last 12 matches and Lee Johnson will hope to carry that momentum forward into the 2017/18 season.
BURTON
Manager: Nigel Clough
Position last season: 20th
Nickname: The Brewers
Ground: Pirelli Stadium
Capacity: 6,912
Players in: Matty Lund (Rochdale, free), Liam Boyce (Ross County, undisclosed), Jake Buxton (Wigan, free), Luke Murphy (Leeds, loan), Stephen Warnock (Wigan, free), Hope Akpan (Blackburn, free), Sean Scannell (Huddersfield, loan), Joe Mason (Wolves, loan)
Players out: Charlie Gatter, Jon McLaughlin, Lee Williamson, Chris Beardsley, Tom Flanagan (all released), Phil Edwards (Bury, free), Callum Reilly (Bury, free), Sam Hornby (Port Vale, free), Jackson Irvine (Hull, undisclosed)
Key man: Lucas Akins
Chances: Staying up last season was an incredible achievement, repeating it would be even bigger. Clough got his recruitment spot on last time and his additions so far this summer have added depth and quality. It will be another campaign spent down the bottom end of the table but Burton could just survive once more. It will be close.
CARDIFF
Manager: Neil Warnock
Position last season: 12th
Nickname: Bluebirds
Ground: Cardiff City Stadium
Capacity: 33,280
Players in: Danny Ward (Rotherham, undisclosed), Neil Etheridge (Walsall, free), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Rochdale, free), Callum Paterson (Hearts, free), Lee Camp (Rotherham, free), Loic Damour (Bourg-Peronnas, undisclosed), Lee Tomlin (Bristol City, undisclosed), Omar Bogle (Wigan, undisclosed)
Players out: Jordan Blaise, Rickie Lambert (both released), Semi Ajayi (Rotherham, undisclosed), Adam le Fondre (Bolton, free), Deji Oshilaja (AFC Wimbledon, free), Peter Whittingham (Blackburn, free), Tom Adeyemi (Ipswich, free), Emyr Huws (Ipswich, undisclosed), Ben Wilson (Oldham, loan), Declan John (Rangers, loan)
Key man: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Chances: Cardiff made a terribly slow start last season, costing Paul Trollope his job in October. Neil Warnock steadied the ship and in his first full season as manager improvement seems likely, despite the high turnover of players. A top-10 finish is possible but the play-offs will be out of reach.
DERBY
Manager: Gary Rowett
Position last season: 9th
Nickname: The Rams
Ground: Pride Park Stadium
Capacity: 32, 600
Players in: Curtis Davies (Hull, undisclosed), Andre Wisdom (Liverpool, undisclosed), Tom Huddlestone (Hull, undisclosed), Tom Lawrence (Leicester, undisclosed)
Players out: Will Hughes (Watford, undisclosed), Tom Ince (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Cyrus Christie (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Abdoul Camara (Guingamp, free), Alefe Santos (Yeovil, free), Timi Elsnik (Swindon, loan), Kellan Gordon (Swindon, loan), Farrend Rawson (Accrington, loan)
Key man: Tom Huddlestone
Chances: Perennial nearly men, although unusually they were some way off the pace last season, Derby will be back knocking on the door again in the race for promotion. Some big names have left but Rowett has made some astute acquisitions. A few more new faces are expected to be added to what remains a very talented squad.
FULHAM
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Position last season: 6th
Nickname: The Cottagers
Ground: Craven Cottage
Capacity: 25,700
Players in: Marcelo Djalo (Club Deportivo Lugo, undisclosed), Ibrahima Cisse (undisclosed, Standard Liege, undisclosed), Lucas Piazon (Chelsea, loan), Tomas Kalas (Chelsea, loan), Oliver Norwood (Brighton, loan), Aboubakar Kamara (Amiens, undisclosed), Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool, loan), Rui Fonte (Braga, undisclosed), Rafa Soares (Porto, loan)
Players out: Larnell Cole (released), Scott Parker (retired), Jesse Joronen (Horsens, free), Scott Malone (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Richard Stearman (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Ryan Tunnicliffe (released), Lasse Vigen Christensen (Bronby, undisclosed), Jack Grimmer (Coventry, free), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Rubin Kazan, loan), Cauley Woodrow (Bristol City, loan), Sone Aluko (Reading, undisclosed), Marek Rodak (Rotherham, loan)
Key man: Tom Cairney
Chances: After 17th and 20th-place finishes in the two seasons following relegation from the Premier League, Fulham were the surprise package of the last campaign when they reached the play-offs. They will be one of the favourites for promotion this time round and it will be interesting to see how they cope with that pressure. Getting Ryan Sessegnon and Cairney to sign new contracts this summer is Fulham's best piece of business.
HULL
Manager: Leonid Slutsky
Position last season: 18th in Premier League
Nickname: The Tigers
Ground: KCOM Stadium
Capacity: 25,586
Players in: Liam Edwards (Swansea, free), Ola Aina (Chelsea, loan), Fraizer Campbell (Crystal Palace, free), Michael Hector (Chelsea, loan), Callum Burton (Shrewsbury, undisclosed), Kevin Stewart (Liverpool, undisclosed), Ondrej Mazuch (Sparta Prague, undisclosed), Sebastian Larsson (free), Stephen Kingsley (Swansea, undisclosed), Jon Toral (Arsenal, undisclosed), Nouha Dicko (Wolves, undisclosed), Jackson Irvine (Burton, undisclosed)
Players out: Shaun Maloney, Alex Bruce, Luke Lofts, Bradley Maslen-Jones, Johan Ter Horst (all released), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Harry Maguire (Leicester, undisclosed), Tom Huddlestone (Derby, undisclosed), Curtis Davies (Derby, undisclosed), Josh Tymon (Stoke, undisclosed), Eldin Jakupovic (Leicester, undisclosed) Jonny Edwards (Accrington, loan), Harvey Rodgers (Fleetwood, free), Andrew Robertson, (Liverpool, undisclosed), Alex Bruce (Bury, free), Sam Clucas (Swansea, £16.5m)
Key man: Kamil Grosicki
Chances: Hull have lost some important players following relegation and with further departures expected, it is difficult to see the Tigers featuring in the promotion mix. Slutsky's first job in England could be a baptism of fire if he and his team are unable to quickly adjust to the relentless and unforgiving nature of the Championship.
IPSWICH
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Position last season: 16th
Nickname: Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Capacity: 30,311
Players in: Joe Garner (Rangers, undisclosed), Emyr Huws (Cardiff, undisclosed), Tom Adeyemi (Cardiff, free), Bersant Celina (Manchester City, loan), Dominic Iorfa (Wolves, loan), Martyn Waghorn (Rangers, undisclosed)
Players out: Leon Best, Giles Coke, Jonathan Douglas, Jacob Marsden, Joe Robinson, Steven Taylor (all released), Christophe Berra (Hearts, free), Kieffer Moore (Rotherham, loan), Josh Emmanuel (Rotherham, loan), Kundai Benyu (Celtic, compensation), Brett Pitman (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Paul Digby (Mansfield, free)
Key man: Joe Garner
Chances: Ipswich went from regular play-off challengers to finishing just four points above the relegation zone last season. Goals were the main problem, or lack of them, as McCarthy's men only managed to hit the back of the net 48 time in the league. A return to top-six contention will be beyond them and a campaign of mid-table obscurity awaits.
LEEDS
Manager: Thomas Christiansen
Position last season: 7th
Nickname: Whites
Ground: Elland Road
Capacity: 39,460
Players in: Matthew Pennington (Everton, loan), Pontus Jansson (Torino, undisclosed), Hadi Sacko (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed), Mateusz Klich (FC Twente, undisclosed), Madger Gomes (free) Felix Wiedwald (Werder Bremen, undisclosed), Vurnon Anita (Newcastle, free), Caleb Ekuban (Chievo, undisclosed), Ezgjan Alioski (FC Lugano, undisclosed), Samuel Saiz (SD Huesca, undisclosed), Ouasim Bouy (free), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Manchester United, loan), Jay-Roy Grot (NEC Nijmegen, undisclosed), Andy Lonergan (Wolves, free), Pawel Cibicki (Malmo, undisclosed), Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Hamburg, loan)
Players out: Giuseppe Bellusci, Jordan Botaka, Alex Purver, Ross Turnbull, Michael Taylor, Jack Vann, Billy Whitehouse, Toumani Diagouraga (all released), Charlie Taylor (Burnley, tribunal), Luke Murphy (Burton, loan), Lewie Coyle (Fleetwood, loan), Lee Erwin (Kilmarnock, free), Ouasim Bouy (Cultural Leonosa, loan), Tyler Denton (Port Vale, loan), Marcus Antonsson (Blackburn, loan), Chris Wood (Burnley, undisclosed), Liam Bridcutt (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Souleymane Doukara (Osmanlispor, undisclosed), Mallik Wilks (Accrington, loan), Rob Green (Huddersfield, free)
Key man: Samuel Saiz
Chances: Leeds have been crying out for some stability for years and last season demonstrated what could be achieved by giving a manager a fair crack of the whip. However, Garry Monk has now also left and, although highly-regarded in footballing circles, Christiansen has a hard act to follow. Expectations at Elland Road are high this season but another play-off challenge is possible.
MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Garry Monk
Position last season: 19th in Premier League
Nickname: Boro
Ground: Riverside Stadium
Capacity: 34,000
Players in: Britt Assombalonga (Nottingham Forest, £15million), Jonny Howson (Norwich, undisclosed), Luke Armstrong (Blyth Spartans, free), Enes Mahmutovic (Fola Esch, undisclosed), Cyrus Christie (Derby, undisclosed), Martin Braithwaite (Toulouse, undisclosed), George Miller (Bury, undisclosed), Connor Roberts (Swansea, loan), Darren Randolph (West Ham £5million), Ashley Fletcher (West Ham, £6.5million), Lewis Baker (Chelsea, loan), Ryan Shotton (Birmingham, undisclosed), Marvin Johnson (Oxford, undisclosed)
Players out: Bradley Fewster, Niall McGoldrick, Lewis Maloney, Junior Mondal, Jo Wheatley, Nathan Convery, Brandon Holdsworth, Matthew Wilson, Victor Valdes (all released), Brad Guzan (Atlanta United, free), James Husband (Norwich, undisclosed), Viktor Fischer (Mainz 05, undisclosed), Antonio Barragan (Real Betis, loan), Matthew Elsdon (Inverness, loan), Joe Fryer (Stevenage, loan), Cristhian Stuani (Girona, undisclosed), Harry Chapman (Blackburn, loan), Gaston Ramirez (Sampdoria, undisclosed),Alex Baptiste (QPR, free), Marten De Roon (Atalanta, undisclosed)
Key man: Britt Assombalonga
Chances: Boro are one of the favourites for the title and it is easy to see why. Of the three teams to come down from the Premier League, they are the one's best equipped for an immediate return and they have flexed their substantial financial muscle in the transfer market with the signings of Assombalonga and Howson in particular. Enticing Garry Monk from Leeds is another shrewd move.
MILLWALL
Manager: Neil Harris
Position last season: 6th in League One
Nickname: The Lions
Ground: The Den
Capacity: 20,146
Players in: James Meredith (Bradford, free), Tom Elliott (AFC Wimbledon, free), George Saville (Wolves, undisclosed), Jed Wallace (Wolves, undisclosed), Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood, free), Jake Cooper (Reading, undisclosed)
Players out: Rian Bray, Kyron Farrell, Alfie Pavey (all released), David Forde (Cambridge, free), Joe Martin (Stevenage, free), Gregg Wylde (Plymouth, free), Harry Smith (Swindon, loan), Nadjim Abdou (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Shaun Cummings (Rotherham, free), Sid Nelson (Yeovil, loan), David Worrall (Port Vale, free), James Brown (Carlisle, loan)
Key man: George Saville
Chances: Millwall are back in the second tier after a two-year absence but will not be daunted by the step up and their performances last season in the FA Cup, when they accounted for Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester, will give the Lions huge encouragement that they can make an impact at this level. Survival would represent a good campaign and they will pull it off - just.
NORWICH
Manager: Daniel Farke
Position last season: 8th
Nickname: The Canaries
Ground: Carrow Road
Capacity: 27,244
Players in: Marley Watkins (Barnsley, free), Marcel Franke (Greuther Furth, undisclosed), Angus Gunn (Manchester City, loan), Mario Vrancic (Darmstadt, undisclosed), Christoph Zimmermann (Borussia Dortmund II, free), Harrison Reed (Southampton, loan), James Husband (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Adam Phillips (Liverpool, free), Tristan Abrahams (Leyton Orient, undisclosed), Tom Trybull (free), Marco Stiepermann (Bochum,undisclosed), Sean Raggett (Norwich, undisclosed), Savvas Mourgos (Arsenal, undisclosed), Grant Hanley (Newcastle, undisclosed)
Players out: Sebastien Bassong, Youssouf Mulumbu (both released), Jacob Murphy (Newcastle, undisclosed), Jonny Howson (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), John Ruddy (Wolves, free), Steven Whittaker (Hibernian, free), Ryan Bennett (Wolves, free), Michael Turner (Southend, free), Kyle Lafferty (Hearts, free), Declan Rudd (Preston, undisclosed), Conor McGrandles (MK Dons, free), Ben Killip (Grimsby, free), Ebou Adams (Shrewsbury, loan), Graham Dorrans (Rangers, undisclosed), Carlton Morris (Shrewsbury, loan), Diallang Jaiyesimi (Grimsby, loan), Tony Andreu (Coventry, free), Sean Raggett (Lincoln, loan), Ben Godfrey (Shrewsbury, loan), Harry Toffolo (Doncaster, loan)
Key man: Alex Pritchard
Chances: It was a surprise not to see Norwich in the promotion mix last season and failure to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt has brought a whole new approach for the Canaries, with a new manager from Germany and a revamp of the squad. Jacob Murphy leaving is a big blow but Norwich have received good money for the forward and can re-invest to ensure they remain promotion contenders this time round.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Manager: Mark Warburton
Position last season: 21st
Nickname: The Reds
Ground: City Ground
Capacity: 30,445
Players in: Jason Cummings (Hibernian, undisclosed), Barrie McKay (Rangers, undisclosed), Liam Bossin (Anderlecht, free), Joe Coveney (Manchester City, free), Tendayi Darikwa (Burnley, undisclosed), Daryl Murphy (Newcastle, undisclosed), Andreas Bouchalakis (Olympiakos, free), Kieran Dowell (Everton, loan), Liam Bridcutt (Leeds, undisclosed)
Players out: Matty Fryatt, Daniel Pinillos (both released), Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough, £15million), Gboly Ariyibi (MK Dons, loan), Kyle McClean (St Johnstone, free), Jorge Grant (Notts County, loan), Alex Iacovitti (Forest Green, loan), Ryan Yates (Notts County, loan), Thomas Lam (FC Twente, loan)
Key man: Chris Cohen
Chances: Forest survived relegation last season by the skin of their teeth on goal difference and at the time manager Mark Warburton vowed the club should never be in that position again. It won't be this time, despite the huge loss of Assombalonga, but those goals must be replaced and the money reinvested astutely. Fawaz Al-Hasawi's exit will hopefully bring some stability off the pitch.
PRESTON
Manager: Alex Neil
Position last season: 11th
Nickname: The Lilywhites
Ground: Deepdale
Capacity: 23,404
Players in: Sean Maguire (York, undisclosed), Declan Rudd (Norwich, undisclosed), Josh Harrop (Manchester United, undisclosed), Kevin O'Connor (Cork City, undisclosed), Darnell Fisher (Rotherham, undisclosed), Stephy Mavididi (Arsenal, loan)
Players out: Anders Lindegaard, Clive Smith (both released), Jermaine Beckford (Bury, free), Stevie May (Aberdeen, undisclosed)
Key man: Jordan Hugill
Chances: Simon Grayson guided Preston to successive 11th-placed finishes in the two seasons after promotion and Alex Neil is now charged with maintaining that consistency. Neil got Norwich promoted from the Championship in 2015 but it would be some achievement to repeat that here. The Lilywhites will not bother the play-off places but will not struggle either and a comfortable mid-table finish awaits.
QPR
Manager: Ian Holloway
Position last season: 18th
Nickname: The Hoops
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,238
Players in: Charlie Owens (Tottenham, free), Josh Scowen (Barnsley, free), Alex Baptiste (Middlesbrough, free), Kazenga LuaLua (Brighton, loan), David Wheeler (Exeter, undisclosed)
Players out: Karl Henry, Darnell Goather-Braithwaite, Jeremy Arthur, Brandon Barzey, Ruudi Clarke, Gianni Crichlow, Jake Eales, Anthony Folkes, Michael Klass, Rhys Springer-Downes (all released), Ben Gladwin (Blackburn, undisclosed), Michael Doughty (Peterborough, undisclosed), Jack Williams (Wycombe, loan), Eberechi Eze (Wycombe, loan), Brandon Comley (Colchester, loan), Matt Ingram (Northampton, loan)
Key man: Alex Smithies
Chances: A dismal run of seven defeats in the final eight matches saw QPR survive relegation by just two points and vast improvement is needed. Holloway has blamed the club's flamboyant spending of the past for a lack of signings this summer and the focus has been put on integrating young talent into the senior squad. It could be a long season for the Hoops.
READING
Manager: Jaap Stam
Position last season: 3rd
Nickname: Royals
Ground: Madejski Stadium
Capacity: 24,161
Players in: Vito Mannone (Sunderland, undisclosed), Pelle Clement (Ajax, undisclosed), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Wolves, undisclosed), Mo Barrow (Swansea, undisclosed), Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Dave Edwards (Wolves, undisclosed), Sone Aluko (Fulham, undisclosed)
Players out: Harrison Bennett, Aaron Kuhl, Sean Long, Stuart Moore, Joe Tupper, Terence Vancooten (all released), Tariqe Fosu (Charlton, undisclosed), Jack Stacey (Luton, undisclosed), Zak Jules (Shrewsbury, undisclosed), Ali Al-Habsi (Al-Hilal, undisclosed), Jonathan Bond (Peterborough, loan), Danzell Gravenberch (KSV Roeselare, loan), Dominic Samuel (Blackburn, undisclosed), Danny Williams (Huddersfield, free), Yakou Meite (Sochaux, loan), Andrija Novakovich (Telstar, loan), Craig Tanner (Motherwell, free), Dominic Hyam (Coventry, free), Deniss Rakels (Lech Poznan, loan), Niall Keown (Partick Thistle, undisclosed), Harry Cardwell (Grimsby, free), Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria de Guimaraes, undisclosed), Jake Cooper (Millwall, undisclosed), Rob Dickie (Lincoln, loan)
Key man: Yann Kermorgant
Chances: A surprise package last season, Stam steered the Royals all the way to the play-off final in his first year in charge. The Dutchman will be hoping he can go one better this time round and Reading should be up there in contention once more. However, Kermorgant, last season's top goal scorer, will miss the start of the campaign after undergoing hip and groin surgery this summer.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Manager: Chris Wilder
Position last season: 1st in League One
Nickname: The Blades
Ground: Bramall Lane
Capacity: 32,702
Players in: Ched Evans (Chesterfield, undisclosed), Enda Stevens (Portsmouth, free), Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool, undisclosed), George Baldock (MK Dons, undisclosed), Richard Stearman (Fulham, undisclosed), John Lundstram (Oxford, undisclosed), Jamal Blackman (Chelsea, loan), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham, loan)
Players out: Marc McNulty (Coventry, free), Stefan Scougall (St Johnstone, free), Jay O'Shea (Bury, free), Graham Kelly (Port Vale, free), Ben Whiteman (Doncaster, loan), George Long (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Chris Hussey (Swindon, loan), Louis Reed (Chesterfield, loan), James Wilson (Walsall, loan), Matt Done (Rochdale, free)
Key man: Billy Sharp
Chances: The Blades ran away with League One last year but the Championship is a totally different proposition and you feel they must transfer some of their momentum into this campaign early on. Wilder has not finished adding to his squad but staying up would be an achievement, giving the club a platform to build on after finally getting back into the second tier.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Manager: Carlos Carvalhal
Position last season: 4th
Nickname: Owls
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,732
Players in: George Boyd (Burnley, free), Frederico Venancio (Vitoria Setubal, loan), Joost van Aken (Heerenveen, undisclosed)
Players out: Jose Semedo, Claude Dielna, Darryl Lachman, Vincent Sasso, Urby Emanuelson, Modou Sougou, Lewis McGugan (all released), Filipe Melo (Chaves, undisclosed), Jack Stobbs (Port Vale, loan), Jordan Thorniley (Accrington, loan), Lewis McGugan (released)
Key man: Barry Bannan
Chances: It has been play-off heartache for the Owls for the past two years, losing in the final in 2016, but this season could be the campaign which sees them return to the Premier League after an 18-year absence. If Carvalhal can manage probably the most potent attacking options in the division and slightly improve Wednesday's away form then they will be tough to beat.
SUNDERLAND
Manager: Simon Grayson
Position last season: 20th in Premier League
Nickname: Black Cats
Ground: Stadium of Light
Capacity: 49,000
Players in: Brendan Galloway (Everton, loan), Tyias Browning (Everton, loan), Aiden McGeady (Everton, undisclosed), James Vaughan (Bury, undisclosed), Lewis Grabban (Bournemouth, loan), Jason Steele (Blackburn, undisclosed), Robbin Ruiter (free)
Players out: Jan Kirchhoff, Joleon Lescott, Sebastian Larsson, George Brady, Dan Casey, Carl Lawson, Oliver Pain (all released), Vito Mannone (Reading, undisclosed), Will Buckley (Bolton, free), Jermain Defoe (Bournemouth, free), Fabio Borini (AC Milan, loan), Steven Pienaar (Bidvest Wits, free), Victor Anichebe (Beijing Enterprises, free), Michael Ledger (Hartlepool, loan), Max Stryjek (Accrington, loan), Papy Djilobodji (Dijon, loan)
Key man: Aiden McGeady
Chances: Grayson worked wonders at Preston but expectations are much higher at Sunderland and he must be given time to sort out what is a bit of a mess at the Stadium of Light. A promotion challenge will be beyond the Black Cats this season but a top-half finish should be achieved.
WOLVES
Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo
Position last season: 15th
Nickname: Wolves
Ground: Molineux
Capacity: 31,700
Players in: Ruben Neves (Porto, undisclosed), Ryan Bennett (Norwich, free), Roderick Miranda (Rio Ave, undisclosed), Phil Ofosu-Ayeh (Eintracht Braunsweig, free), Barry Douglas (Konyaspor, undisclosed), Willy Boly (Porto, loan), John Ruddy (Norwich, free), Will Norris (Cambridge, undisclosed), Ruben Vinagre (Monaco, loan), Diogo Jota (Atletico Madrid, loan), Leo Bonatini (Al Hilal, loan)
Players out: James Henry (Oxford, free), George Saville (Millwall, undisclosed), Jed Wallace (Millwall, undisclosed), Jon Flatt (Cheltenham, loan), Paul Gladon (Heracles, loan), Ethan Ebanks-Landell (MK Dons, loan), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Reading, undisclosed), Dominic Iorfa (Ipswich, loan), Mike Williamson (Oxford, free), Duckens Nazon (Coventry, loan), Joe Mason (Burton, loan), Dave Edwards (Reading, undisclosed), Nouha Dicko Hull, undisclosed), Will Randall (Forest Green, loan)
Key man: Ruben Neves
Chances: It could be an interesting season at Molineux both on and off the pitch. How much influence super agent Jorge Mendes has could hold the key but whatever way you look at it, getting Neves to the club is a huge coup. If he and the other signings produce the goods then Wolves will compete but if they don't then another frustrating campaign lies ahead.