Arias, Bird, Cole: 8 EFL Championship transfers expected to happen in 2024 | OneFootball

Highlights

The Championship is a highly competitive league, and the need to keep evolving is crucial for any club to attain their ambitions, be that for a promotion push or to battle to maintain their stature in the division.

Buying and selling players in the transfer market is vital the evolution of most clubs as managers strive to make the tweaks needed to strengthen their squad.

Football League World looks at eight Championship transfers that are expected to happen in 2024 as clubs look to shake up their roster and strengthen positions that they have identified as areas of weakness.

1 Jhon Arias: Fluminense to Leeds United

Rumours continue to swirl regarding the future of Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville. Throughout the summer, there were reports linking the Dutch player to a number of Premier League clubs, and according to Football Insider, interest in the midfielder is likely to continue with a move in January 2024.

However, according to reports in TeamTalk, Leeds are one of a number of sides interested in Jhon Arias. The Colombian international has been an important part of the Fluminense team that reached the Copa Libertadores final in 2023. But with interest from a number of clubs, including Leeds, West Ham, and Rangers, Arias’ future looks likely to be away from Brazil. Leeds will be desperate to make him part of the squad due to the talent that the 26-year-old has displayed in his three seasons with the Brazilian outfit.

The Whites will expect to make him part of the squad in 2024, January being the most likely, due to the manner in which the season is scheduled in Brazil. The temptation that Daniel Farke can offer the player is the potential of playing Premier League football in the 2024–25 season, should Leeds attain their ambition of promotion from the Championship.

2 Eiran Cashin: Derby County to Birmingham City

Derby County are still playing their football in League One in the 2023–24 season, with many fans hopeful that they will be in the Championship for the following season. However, should they fail to achieve promotion, they may lose some of their influential young talents, one of which is Eiran Cashin.

The Irish centre-back has been integral to the Derby side since their relegation to League One and has developed into one of the best defenders in the division. This has seen much interest in the player, with Brighton and Hove Albion being linked, but reports have surfaced about a move to Birmingham to rejoin his former Rams manager, Wayne Rooney.

Despite interest in him joining ahead of January, Cashin may choose to remain at the Midlands club until the summer of 2024 to continue his development under Paul Warne.

Max Bird was the subject of severe interest from Hull City and former manager Liam Rosenior; however, the two clubs were unable to come to an agreement. Bird turned his attention back to Derby for the 2023–24 campaign as the Rams looked to gain promotion back to the Championship from League One.

Warne is keen not to lose the midfielder but surely understands the draw of the Tigers, especially should the Rams fail to achieve promotion back to the Championship for the 2024–25 season.

Bird will have ambitions of playing at the highest level, despite his love and admiration for the club that he has been at his whole career. The temptation to rejoin a manager who admires his talent is hard to resist when applying your trade in the division below, so the expectation is that Bird will be reunited with Rosenior should Derby look unlikely to achieve promotion in 2024.

James Hill is on loan at Blackburn Rovers for the 2023–24 season from Bournemouth, but the former Premier League champions should look to make the move permanent in 2024. The defender has struggled to break into the Bournemouth side since joining the club from Fleetwood Town in January 2022.

Rovers will have ambitions of eventually returning to the Premier League, and the signature of the 21-year-old would benefit the Lancashire club immensely in achieving this ambition. Bournemouth will surely monitor the situation in the North West as to whether they allow him to depart the club permanently in 2024, but the ambitions of the Cherries may stop Hill from developing at the club, and the perfect chance for this would be Blackburn.

It would represent excellent business from the Ewood Park outfit and could come on the back of the potential sale of Adam Wharton.

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5 Neil Farrugia: Shamrock Rovers to Preston North End

Preston North End have a long-standing connection with Irish football and have recently had a number of Irish players be a key part of the squad, including Alan Browne, Robbie Brady, and Aidan McGeady in the past few seasons.

Neil Farrugia won his fourth League of Ireland title with Shamrock Rovers in 2023, and there has been talk in the past of the young full-back, who can play winger, moving to England. He would be able to play in multiple positions, making him a valuable asset to the Lancashire club.

If North End go shopping in the League of Ireland again then Farrugia looks likely to be the target.

6 Davis Keillor-Dunn: Mansfield Town to Millwall

Davis Keillor-Dunn has been the subject of much interest from a number of Championship clubs, including Hull, Queens Park Rangers, and Rotherham United. Millwall, however, have been determined to land the attacking midfielder.

The 26-year-old has been highly influential since joining Mansfield in January 2022, but his time at the club will come to an end, likely in 2024, with the Championship clubs monitoring the situation around the player.

A goalscorer and a creator, Keillor-Dunn could well become an important player for the Lions and perhaps a replacement for Zian Flemming should he move on.

7 Devante Cole: Barnsley to Middlesbrough

The son of legendary striker Andy Cole is out of contract in the summer of 2024, with as many as four Championship clubs reportedly interested in the player. However, the Teesside Club is the most likely outfit for Devante Cole.

Middlesbrough is in need of a striker following the sale of Chuba Akpom to Ajax. Michael Carrick and his side will have ambitions to play in the Premier League in the 2024–25 season, following the great season they had in 2022–23. To be able to reach this goal, Cole would add much-needed goals to the side.

James Overy is a highly sought-after 16-year-old footballer currently playing his football in Australia, but Everton and West Ham scouts have made their intentions for the player clear. The favourites for the player are Everton, according to Alan Nixon via Patreon, yet the Foxes are well in the hunt for the individual.

The likelihood of Overy joining Leicester in 2024 is more likely if Everton maintain their relegation battles in the Premier League, with the Foxes the favourites to win the Championship in the 2023–24 season, making it the perfect destination for a young player to develop.