Championship transfer round-up: Birmingham want Premier League striker, Blackburn to lose key man, Jobe Bellingham exit

We’re largely looking ahead to play-off finals this weekend, but in our Championship transfer round-up you’ll find some huge stories from the week just gone.

Sheffield United and Sunderland may be gearing up for the biggest game of their seasons with the Championship play-off final on Saturday, but time waits for no man. While they’re busy, clubs across the EFL are pushing ahead with business ahead of the summer transfer window.

Our previous round-up of transfer stories looked at Leeds United and Burnley’s plans, while we also discussed how Birmingham City and Wrexham were preparing for life in the second tier.

Those two come up again this week, with potentially huge movements coming up for both sides this summer, plus a look at what Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester are up to ahead of their relegation.

Here’s the latest Championship transfer round-up to sink your teeth into.

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Birmingham City and Wrexham tipped to fight for Danny Ings

We’re told Birmingham and Wrexham may move for Danny Ings, who is to become a free agent at the end of the season when his contract with West Ham expires.

It’s said Ings may be the more desirable option for a number of clubs as opposed to a player of a similar profile, Jamie Vardy. The issue is, Ings may well get offers from the Premier League, with Burnley also potentially keen.

Meanwhile, Birmingham may be considering a permanent move for Ben Davies, who enjoyed his loan spell at St. Andrew’s this season

Whatever happens, we can expect both Birmingham and Wrexham to be a major part of our Championship transfer round-up stories from here on out.

Tyrhys Dolan will not be staying at Blackburn Rovers

We have known for a while that Middlesbrough are interested in Tyrhys Dolan, with the Blackburn Rovers star nearing the end of his deal at Ewood Park.

There was hope for Blackburn fans last week with talk of a new deal being offered to Dolan.

However, we can confirm that Dolan will indeed leave the club next month. Where he goes, though, is another matter. Boro are still pushing for his signature, but they’re not the only club looking at the winger.

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Sunderland will lose Jobe Bellingham

It’s long been suggested that the result of the Championship play-off final will determine Sunderland’s hopes of keeping Jobe Bellingham.

Unfortunately, we now understand that Bellingham will leave Sunderland regardless of the outcome of that game. Borussia Dortmund are advancing in the chase, but Premier League interest is there, too.

A deal is expected to bring in around £25-30m for Sunderland. Any such deal will be of great interest to Birmingham, who have a 15% sell-on clause for Bellingham.

Still, Sunderland have been offered hope of signing Chris Mepham permanently. The defender is not likely to be given a new deal at Bournemouth and can leave for free this summer.

John Eustace looking to change things at Derby County

Derby County were involved in our last Championship transfer round-up, and it seems the Rams are busy again this week.

John Eustace is keen to reunite with Andreas Weimann, after working with the forward at Blackburn Rovers. The Derby boss may also look at Danny Batth, too.

The plan for Derby is to sign squad players early on this summer, before moving for bigger, more important targets later in the window. And, we’re told Eustace is eager to shake things up and change the squad substantially.

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Ipswich, Southampton, and West Brom looking at Scottish market

We could see Ipswich Town and Southampton fighting over the same players fairly often this summer.

Both sides are looking at signing Scottish striker Lawrence Shankland on a free transfer from Hearts in the near future. The experienced forward also has interest from the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, and Germany.

Elsewhere, West Brom are pushing to sign James Penrice, also from Hearts. Southampton are also in the running for the full-back’s signature.

Jamie Vardy stalls decision as Leicester City face financial chaos

It wouldn’t be a Championship transfer round-up without some mention of Jamie Vardy.

Last week, we suggested the forward may still join Sheffield Wednesday. Now, we can reveal Vardy won’t make any decisions until after the Premier League season wraps up this weekend.

That’s the least of Leicester’s worries right now. The club is facing a massive points deduction next season for PSR breaches. On top of that, Ruud van Nistelrooy is potentially being replaced by Russell Martin imminently.

Foxes fans aren’t too happy about that idea. But, there is some good news, as we’re told Leicester won’t be forced to sell players despite financial issues.

Derby County’s five most expensive signings of all time as the Rams await investment

Derby County are preparing for their biggest summer transfer window in years as they look to build on their 19th place finish in the Championship last season.

John Eustace left Blackburn Rovers in February to join the Rams, and he helped keep the club in the second tier despite a desperate start to 2025 which saw them go 12 games without a win in all competitions.

However, the 45-year-old now has to find a way to ensure that his team are not involved in a relegation scrap once again, and this summer will be a busy one for the East Midlands outfit.

With survival saving Derby millions, and investment seemingly just around the corner, EFL Analysis have taken a look at the club’s five most expensive signings of all time.

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The five most expensive Derby County signings of all time

5. Tom Ince (2015)

After a very successful loan spell in the second half of the 2014/15 season, Tom Ince joined Derby permanently at the end of the campaign from Hull City – who had been relegated back to the Championship.