By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-08-05 10:03:28 | Updated at 2026-08-05 16:57:15
7 hours ago
There is always a huge turnover of players across the English Football League in the summer months. Here’s 10 interesting additions you may have missed across the Championship, League One and League Two in this transfer window.
Championship
Rafiki Saïd (Wolves)
We start in the Championship, and after suffering relegation from the Premier League during the 2025-26 season, Wolves will look for an immediate return to the top-flight.
The Midlands outfit have made a number of interesting additions in search of that feat, but perhaps the most intriguing is their capture of winger Rafiki Saïd from Standard Liège.
The 26-year-old Comoros international played 37 times in the Belgian top-flight last term, netting eight goals and adding a further four assists from the left wing – a solid showing for a side who ended up finishing mid-table.
If you dig a little deeper than just the headline numbers, Saïd’s consistent attacking output across the board was one of the most solid in the Belgian Pro League, ranking joint-fifth for shots on target (32) and joint-sixth for total shots attempted (90), while also logging 180 touches in the opposition’s penalty area – the fourth-largest tally in the competition last term.
He’s a player who enjoys making late dashes to the back post as a cross option for deliveries from the other wing, and equally, is a player who loves to run at opposition defences with the ball at his feet to create opportunities.
That’s likely to make him a fan favourite at Molineux this campaign and beyond, especially as only one player in Belgium’s elite division managed to log more than Saïd’s 69 successful dribbles last campaign.
Filip Bilbija (Derby County)
Last season proved to be a slightly frustrating one for fans of Derby County, as even though their side perhaps slightly overperformed according to the pre-season betting markets, they missed out on a play-off place by just four points.
With just a few extra goals spread across their ranks, the Rams could have snuck into the top six, especially as their tally of 67 was the second-lowest total among the Championship’s top eight in 2025-26.
To try and remedy that, Derby have brought attacking midfielder Filip Bilbija to Pride Park after he enjoyed an excellent campaign in Germany’s second-tier with Paderborn. That included scoring the opener in their successful promotion play-off victory over Wolfsburg.
That goal was one of 15 that the 24-year-old recorded overall, his best return in a single campaign in his career, and a tally that only three players could better in the Bundesliga Zwei.
Such was Bilbija’s potency in front of goal, of the 271 players to have 10+ shots in the Bundesliga Zwei in 2025-26, he possessed the best shot conversion rate of any – his 15 goals coming from just 47 shots (32%).
He also averaged 0.72 xG per 90, the fourth-highest tally in the competition, which further highlights his consistent goal threat during matches, something Derby supporters will be desperate for him to continue in 2026-27.
Gaizka Larrazabal (Bolton Wanderers)
After gaining promotion back to the Championship in May thanks to their brilliant play-off final victory over Stockport County, Bolton Wanderers have focused much of their efforts on improving their backline over the summer transfer window.
Bringing in three new defensive recruits before the end of July, it’s clear that manager Steven Schumacher believes defensively solidity is their best chance of remaining clear of a potential relegation battle in 2026-27, and with the addition of full-back Gaizka Larrazabal, they’ve pulled off what looks to be quite a coup.
A player who loves to both attack and defend in equal measure, Larrazabal struck five goals and produced four assists last term for Casa Pia, with his nine goal contributions serving as the second-most of any defender in Portugal’s top-flight.
That output was directly aided by his 4.42 non-penalty xG total – the most of any defender in the Primeira Liga – and by the fact that he ranked top for most shots on target (21), second for most shots overall (48), and joint-sixth for touches in the opposition’s box (54) among defenders.
But as well as his attacking output, Larrazabal performed strongly in his defensive duties, reading the play extremely well to break up promising attacks for opposing sides.
The 28-year-old made 28 interceptions in total, while he was one of only two players in the Primeira Liga to rack up 50+ tackles (50), 75+ clearances (83) and 125+ ball recoveries overall, impressive defensive ability that his new boss Schumacher will be keen to see repeated this term.
Elijah Just (Swansea City)
Fresh from scoring three goals for New Zealand at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, midfielder Elijah Just has swapped Motherwell for Swansea City this summer after he produced some excellent displays from the Scottish Premiership side in 2025-26.
The 26-year-old was one of just two players to produce 7+ goals and 7+ assists in the competition last term, and was named Motherwell’s Players’ Player of the Year, with him being a large part of achieving their best league finish since the 2019-20 campaign.
Just’s influence can be best measured by the fact that no other forward in the Scottish top-flight had as many touches of the ball as him last season (1,808), also producing the second-most successful passes in total (890), and the second-most successful passes into the final third in turn (461).
But what set him apart from that crowd was his excellent defensive contributions, tallying the most tackles (56), joint-most interceptions (23) and the fourth-most ball recoveries (131), and overall duels won (183) among attackers.
He then went on to impress at the FIFA World Cup for New Zealand, scoring three of their four goals at the tournament including an eye-catching brace in their opening game against Iran.
His all-round approach is precisely why the Swans have splashed the cash this summer as they look to target a play-off finish in the Championship in 2026-27.
League One
Adam Phillips (Bradford City)
Leaving the Championship and moving into League One, we start with Bradford City’s acquisition of Adam Phillips from Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.
Despite the Bantams reaching the third-tier play-offs at the first time of asking following their League Two promotion the season prior, a lack of goals proved to be their main problem, scoring just 58 times, the second-fewest of any side to finish in the top half.
In an effort to solve that, manager Graham Alexander and his staff outlined Phillips as the stand-out option on the market, and given that only one midfielder has recorded more goals (38) or more direct goal contributions (65) in League One since the start of the 2022-23 season, it’s clear to see why.
The 2025-26 season proved to be another fruitful one for the former Liverpool youngster as he recorded another 14 goal involvements in the third tier (nine goals, five assists).
That attacking quality is a big plus for the Bantams, but it’s also Phillips’ versatility and defensive acumen that will have proved equally as important for Alexander.
The 28-year-old recovered possession on 126 occasions last season, additionally showing his defensive work rate by logging 25 tackles and 27 interceptions – both strong tallies for an attacking midfielder.
There’s also his delivery and quality from set pieces to mention, which could prove to be an additional important asset for Bradford in 2026-27, a side who have ambitions of making their way back to the second tier for the first time in 23 years.
Derensili Sanches Fernandes (Huddersfield Town)
It’s fair to say that Huddersfield Town underperformed last season, finishing ninth in the 2025-26 League One campaign
As such, this summer has been one of change at the John Smith’s Stadium with a new manager taking the helm and five players joining the club thus far. The pick of those arguably comes in the form of winger Derensili Sanches Fernandes, joining on a permanent deal from Eredivisie side Excelsior.
Fernandes highlighted himself as an exciting and dynamic on-the-ball presence for an Excelsior side that finished above the dreaded relegation places, grabbing six goals and three assists from the right wing in the Dutch top-flight last term.
Last season, only two Eredivisie forwards recorded more than Fernandes’ 138 10+ metre progressive carries, with the 25-year-old additionally logging 29 shot-ending carries and 18 carries ending with a chance created in the process – demonstrating his ability to find vital end-product with frequency.
If he can continue that form, the Dutchman should prove to be a real handful for League One defences in 2026-27, and given he completed the third-most dribbles in the Eredivisie last campaign (66), expect his showboating skills to do the rounds on social media in the very near future.
Billy Mitchell (Sheffield Wednesday)
Another League One side who have experienced a huge summer of change are Sheffield Wednesday, who begin life back in the third-tier following their recent Championship relegation under new ownership.
After finally ridding themselves of former steward Dejphon Chansiri, the feel-good factor has returned at Hillsborough ahead of 2026-27, especially as the Owls have made over 10 new signings, which includes the return of club legend Barry Bannan.
But it’s another midfielder arrival from Millwall likely to spend plenty of time alongside the Scotsman this campaign that we’re discussing here, as Billy Mitchell has joined Wednesday following a prior six-year spell with the Lions, during which he made 184 league appearances.
That’s a lot of game time for a 25-year-old in the EFL, and his acquisition will bring plenty of bite to the Owls’ midfield this term, not least so as he ranked second for tackles made (2.49) by any Millwall player to make 20+ league appearances last season.
In that same list, Mitchell also ranked second for possession won (5.28), highlighting his anticipation and reading of the play that helps him to win the ball back for his side regularly.
That arguably makes him the ideal candidate to sit next to Bannan in the centre of the park, a player who can effectively do the running for the now 36-year-old in order to free up his playmaking ability, which will be key to Wednesday’s potential promotion challenge this season.
League Two
Kyle Dempsey (Port Vale)
Lastly, it’s time to dive into League Two, and we kick things off with Port Vale’s signing of midfielder Kyle Dempsey on a free transfer after he left League One play-off promotion winners Bolton Wanderers at the end of last season.
The general consensus was that the 30-year-old would remain in the third tier but instead, he was swayed by a Vale project that’s ambition is for an immediate return back to the third tier in 2026-27.
Dempsey could very much prove to be a big part of that as he brings a wealth of experience with him to Vale Park after making 402 Football League appearances for six different sides during his career to date.
Overall, 140 of those came for former side Bolton after moving to the club in January 2022, netting 14 goals and providing 13 assists during that time to provide a goal contribution per every 299.7 minutes of action.
That’s not a bad return considering Dempsey is much more of a box-to-box operator as opposed to a fully attack-minded midfielder, a player who is just as like to put in a challenge as he is to create a chance for a teammate.
Last season, he won 5.73 duels per 90, a solid average that highlights his battling ability, while he also produced 2.28 tackles per match throughout the campaign.
The 2026-27 campaign will be the lowest level that Kyle Dempsey has operated at since 2014-15, but with his experience and football intelligence, he should prove to be a mainstay in Port Vale’s starting XI.
Luke Offord (Crewe Alexandra)
Conceding 58 goals in League Two last season while facing the third-most shots of any side in the division (656), the Crewe Alexandra recruitment team will have headed into the summer break knowing that bringing in a raft of new defensive additions was key to their success in 2026-27.
Despite that, only one defender has arrived to this point but it’s a quality acquisition in the form of centre back Luke Offord, who rejoins the Railwaymen after leaving for MK Dons back in July 2024.
Prior to that move down south, the 26-year-old had played 170 matches across all competitions for Crewe, and at the time, his departure came as a sizeable blow for a side who had just finished in the play-off places but who would ultimately go on to lose the final at Wembley to Crawley Town.
Two years on and Offord returns to Gresty Road as a better all-round defender, producing 62 interceptions in League Two last term – the third-most of any player – and adding a further 57 tackles and 248 clearances as he helped the Dons to promotion.
In fact, over his past two League Two campaigns, no defender has produced more interceptions (112), with Offord acting as one of only two defenders to record 100+ tackles, 250+ successful aerial duels and 300+ ball recoveries in that time.
His aerial ability also helped him net six goals across the past two seasons in the fourth tier, an area of his game that the Crewe faithful will be desperate to see more of during 2026-27.
Luke Molyneux (Salford City)
We finish this list with one of the most eye-catching signings by a League Two club this summer as Salford City have brought in attacking midfielder Luke Molyneux on a permanent deal from Doncaster Rovers.
Fresh from netting eight goals and providing seven assists across 40 appearances, the 28-year-old was one of the best all-round attacking performers in League One in 2025-26, producing memorable moments for a Rovers side who eventually fought their way out of a potential relegation battle.
Among midfielders, only two players produced a higher xG total than Molyneux last season (10.95) – highlighting him as one of the strongest midfielders in terms of attacking output across England’s bottom two tiers.
That’s understandably the main reason why Salford have pounced, but there are other areas of his game that highlight the former Sunderland youth academy product as one of the players to watch in the fourth tier for this upcoming campaign.
With 12 big chances and 56 overall chances created for his teammates, Molyneux can just as easily provide opportunities for those around him as he can take it for himself, something that could prove pivotal as the Ammies look to reach the third tier for the first time in their history.
Last season also saw him complete 56 dribbles in total – the joint fifth-most of any player in League One – and it’s that skill set, coupled with his 25 ball recoveries in the final third, that frequently helped to release the pressure on his own defence and push his side up the field.
Playing alongside another high-profile signing in Macaulay Langstaff, watch out for Molyneux as a player who could easily top the League Two goal contribution charts.
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