The new EFL season is just weeks away, with the earliest ever start seeing teams back in action before July is out.
Finally, after two years of Covid-affected finances, it seems clubs are getting towards better financial health although it is once again likely to be a summer of teams mostly restricted to loan signings or free agents. But clubs in League Two haven't been afraid to splash the cash in the past.
Here, we run the rule over all 24 clubs in the third tier and look at their respective record signings (according to industry website Transfermarkt) - and see what they are up to nowadays.
AFC Wimbledon
Byron Harrison is the club's record outlay, with the club having forked out £24,000 to sign him from Stevenage in January 2012.
He didn't stay long though and has since gone on to have a nomadic career and is currently playing in Wales for Connah's Quay Nomads.
Barrow AFC
Anthony Wilson's arrival from North Ferriby in 2014 saw Barrow, then in the Conference North, pay out £20,000. He lasted just over a year before moving around the non-league circuit.
Bradford City
Back in the heady days of City's Premier League stay they forked out a huge fee of £3.38m for David Hopkin from local rivals Leeds.
He played just a handful of games as City were relegated from the top flight and was sold on at a loss to Crystal Palace less than a year later. He would go on to become a manager, briefly in the Valley Parade dugout for five months of the 2018-19 campaign.
Carlisle United
Carlisle forked out £189,000 to sign Blackburn youngster Joe Garner in August 2007 after a successful loan spell. They made a tidy profit on him after just one season with Nottingham Forest paying over £1m for him a year later. Now 34, he is at Fleetwood.
Colchester United
Chris Coyne's arrival from Luton cost Colchester in excess of £473,000 back in January 2008. The defender was part of the side relegated from the Championship that season and that summer he went back to Australia to join Perth Glory. Moved into coaching after retirement.
Crawley Town
When Crawley signed striker Richard Brodie from York City in 2010 it was seen as a statement of intent. The £225,000 fee was the highest ever spent by one non-league club on a player from a fellow non-league side.
Brodie played his part as Crawley won the league that year and earned a first-ever promotion to the EFL. Now 34, he is part of the coaching staff at Ashton Athletic.
Crewe Alexandra
Alex's £675,000 outlay on David Brammer back in August 2001 remains their record fee spent. The midfielder arrived from nearby Port Vale and was described by then Crewe boss Dario Gradi as "probably the biggest [signing] in our history."
After three years he left for Stoke, before further spells at Millwall and Vale again.
Doncaster Rovers
Billy Sharp was recruited from local rivals Sheffield United for £1.24m back in July 2010 after a successful loan spell at Rovers.
He would impress enough for Southampton to sign him in January 2012 for a fee of £1.8m. Now 36 he is back at boyhood club United - his third spell - and last term saw him break the record for most goals scored in the Championship since the competition was revamped in 2004.
Gillingham
Carl Asaba was signed for £797,000 from Reading back in 1998 and made a good impression in three years there. He scored 40 in 91 and earned a move to Sheffield United off the back of that.
Further spells at Stoke and Millwall came before he retired. He is now a co-commentator for Blades' games on BBC local radio.
Grimsby Town
Kevin Donovan cost the Mariners £405,000 back in July 1997, after leaving West Brom. He achieved immediate success too, helping Grimsby win promotion to the second tier as well as seal the Football League Trophy after beating Bournemouth.
Since retiring he runs a soccer school and can be heard co-commentating on BBC local radio.
Harrogate Town
The Yorkshire club paid a reported £23,000 for Adam Porritt from Huddersfield in 2017. He would last barely six months though before dropping lower down the non-league circles.
Hartlepool United
Sam Collins was signed from Hull in January 2008 for a fee of £158,000. He would spend the rest of his career with Pools before moving on to the coaching staff.
He bossed York City briefly during the 2018-19 season.
Leyton Orient
Justin Channing cost £286,000 after arriving from Bristol Rovers in the 1996-97 season. After two years in London, he ended up playing non-league with Slough Town.
Mansfield Town
Otis Khan was bought for a fee believed to be £160,000 in 2018 when he was signed from Yeovil. He struggled to make himself a regular with the Stags though and a handful of moves followed. Now at newly-promoted Grimsby.
Newport County
Newport forked out £25,000 on Tom Miller from Dundalk in 2011. He went on to join Lincoln, Carlisle and Bury and was most recently at non-league Radcliffe.
Northampton Town
The Cobblers forked out £180,000 for Josh Low to sign him from Oldham in 2003. He became a popular figure among Northampton fans and was given the nickname 'J-Lo' before eventually moving on a free to Leicester. Retired in 2014.
Rochdale AFC
Paul Connor cost Rochdale £203,000 from Stoke in 2001 and spent three years at Spotland. The striker eventually moved on to Swansea, Leyton Orient and Cheltenham.
Salford City
For a club with high-profile owners and plenty of ambition, remarkably Salford's transfer record is a modest £7,000 spent on Jordan Hulme. That was in 2015 when he was bought from non-league Ramsbottom. He was sold on and is now at Altrincham.
Stevenage
Scott Laird cost Stevenage just shy of £100,000 back in the 2007-08 season. He was signed from Plymouth and was a huge part of the Boro squad that went from the Conference to League One. Went on to join Preston and was most recently at Weston-super-Mare.
Stockport County
The Hatters spent a whopping £1.08m on Ian Thomas-Moore from Nottingham Forest in 1998, when they were a second-tier side. He would spend two years there before another big-money move to Burnley followed and future spells at Leeds and Tranmere.
Sutton United
For a team that has only recently made its EFL debut, Sutton have no listed transfer fees to look back on although a handful of signings down the years have been listed as undisclosed indicating transfer fees have been paid out.
Swindon Town
Midfielder Joey Beauchamp joined the Robins for a fee reported to be £900,000 from West Ham, where he endured a horror spell, in 1994.
He returned back to Oxford in 1995 after just one year at Swindon. Sadly, Beauchamp passed away in February this year aged 50 with an inquest later finding he had struggled with depression prior to his death.
Tranmere Rovers
Rovers signed Shaun Teale for £500,000 back in the summer of 1995, during their days in the second tier. He was recruited from Aston Villa, who he helped finish third in the Premier League in 1993 and win the League Cup a year later. Teale would be loaned out twice by Tranmere before eventually moving on. After retirement, he managed a handful of non-league clubs before focusing on running his pub and restaurant business.
Walsall
The Saddlers' record signing was when winger Andreas Makris arrived from Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta in August 2016.
He scored just once in 35 games and was out the door inside a year, with Walsall said to have recouped the £319,000 outlay they spent on him.
