Home F365 Features One January transfer target for every Championship club – Part Deux
It’s the second instalment of our rundown of what each and every Championship club needs to do in January.
Check out Barnsley to Hull here if you haven’t already and then crack on with the Luton to West Brom here…
Luton Town – Reinforcements
There aren’t many clubs consistently overachieving quite like Luton Town. The Hatters are likely not good enough to push for the top six all the way until May, but that is no sleight on Nathan Jones’ side. Their summer recruitment was strong, and added to an already decent and exciting squad. If Luton are to recruit in January, it will once more be looking to the long term. Their efforts should go into keeping top scorer Elijah Adebayo at Kenilworth Road.
Middlesbrough – A Premier League Loan Striker
Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun is the obvious choice, while Man City hotshot Liam Delap would benefit hugely from a Championship loan move. Uche Ikpeazu has not hit the heights expected following his summer switch from Wycombe, while Andraz Sporar is not the reliable goal scorer required for a sustained promotion push. Chris Wilder has already transformed this Boro side in his short time at the Riverside and a young hungry Premier League striker with a point to prove could be the final piece of the puzzle.
Millwall – A Regular Goalscorer
Jed Wallace is unsurprisingly Millwall’s top scorer this season, but his five goal output goes some way to showing why Millwall have to dig in for draws in order to keep their name in the dark horse category for promotion. They should be looking for similar targets to Middlesbrough, all the while knowing they might have to feed off the scraps that come their way. Anyone who can turn isolated points into three-point hauls on a semi-regular basis could write their way into Millwall legend come May.
Nottingham Forest – A Striker
Wash, rinse and repeat from the previous two suggestions. Lewis Grabban has come on leaps and bounds under Steve Cooper, but is in the autumn of his career. Lyle Taylor has not progressed quite as much and is similarly in the latter stages of his playing days. It is no secret that Forest are after another striker. Brentford’s Marcus Forss could kickstart his career at the City Ground, though the Bees may look to incorporate winger Brennan Johnson into any deal. Balogun and Delap look good shouts once more here.
Peterborough United – Anyone Better Than The Summer Recruitment
Peterborough’s summer recruitment did not go to plan. That is exemplified by the Posh’s struggles across the pitch this season, with none of their few best performers having come to London Road in the last transfer window. A whole article could be devoted to what Darren Ferguson’s side require, so one in every position appears a good way of whittling it down to fit here. It could be a long second half of the season in Cambridgeshire.
Preston North End – Wing Backs
Ryan Lowe has made no secret of his desire to bring his style of play to Deepdale after switching Plymouth for Preston, and that means a big emphasis on dynamic wing-backs, which Preston are somewhat lacking in, despite operating with a back three at times this season. Lowe proved with the Pilgrims that he needn’t have traditional wing backs play the role, so Preston can cast their scouting net far and wide for this.
QPR – Another Ilias Chair
It is almost impossible to overstate just how important Morocco international Ilias Chair is to this QPR side. His six goals and five assists make him amongst the leaders in both metrics for the Hoops, and his absence to go to AFCON will be keenly felt in West London. A creative loan force who can help bridge that gap and then aid it for the rest of the season could play a pivotal part in maintaining QPR’s push for a play-off place.
Reading – Luck
Between a poor start to the season, a six-point deduction, and having nearly a full XI on the injury list every match this season, it’s fair to say Reading have not had much in the way of good luck in 2021/22. Many of the fans point the finger at manager Veljko Paunovic despite the list of excuses, but good luck on the returns from injury is what will save both Paunovic’s job and Reading’s Championship status. They can’t spend big, but keeping key players and getting others back in the team would constitute January success for the Royals.
Sheffield United – Fresh Blood
Sheffield United infamously spent money only on the loan fee for Liverpool centre back Ben Davies in the summer, and a stagnant squad put paid to Slavisa Jokanovic’s chances of success in South Yorkshire. Three wins from three for Paul Heckingbottom have surprised even the most optimistic of Blades fans however, and backing him in January could see Sheffield United move into a great position to return to the top flight at the first time of asking. If they can get value for money in this market – easier said than done – the Blades could have a fantastic second half of the season.
Stoke City – A Midfield Enforcer
It pains us to say it, having fought largely in the corner that Stoke’s back three was so strong as a unit that a midfield enforcer in the classic Stoke mould was no longer required in ST4, but Harry Souttar’s injury has changed the dynamic of the back three. With Leo Ostigaard recalled by Brighton from his loan spell, the Potters have a new way of defending, and it likely requires some more steel in the middle of the park to aid it. Paddy McNair is a pie in the sky shout, but given his Northern Ireland links with Michael O’Neill, would be a dream come true.
Swansea City – A Goalkeeper
Swansea did superbly to not only land Joel Piroe in the summer, but to turn him into a striker that Leicester City are reportedly interested in just six months after landing on these shores. One of the second tier’s most consistent performers, the Swans’ top scorer has more than filled the void left by Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe. Another similar find at the other end of the pitch would go down a treat. Neither Ben Hamer nor Steven Benda have shown themselves to suit manager Russell Martin’s idealistic style of play, so a sweeper keeper comfortable with spending portions of the game outside his penalty area is a must.
West Brom – Already Done
We (and, to be fair, the alphabet) have saved the easiest until last. Daryl Dike transformed Barnsley’s season, transforming them from midtable to play-off contenders with his goals in the second half of last term. West Brom have zero strikers who can be trusted in front of goal, and a link up with his old boss Valerien Ismael makes perfect sense for all parties. Sorting your most important January work on New Year’s Day is impressively efficient even if it is as obvious a move as this.