The Championship season is over and that means the transfer rumour mill is about to get into full swing as managers aim to move quickly to address the weaknesses in their squad.
With clubs announcing their retained lists and players heading for the end of their contracts, there are likely to be numerous bargains on offer. Nigel Pearson is eager to get his business completed swiftly which will relieve the pressure on bringing in new additions when the players return for pre-season.
Other players will be happy to sit on their hands and bide their time, waiting for the best deal and the right club to come in before making a final decision. This summer could see Championship clubs start to open their chequebooks once again as the financial recovery from the pandemic continues.
We've taken a look at the transfer rumours across the country involving City's Championship rivals...
Ashley Barnes to Norwich
The Bath-born striker has been the subject of interest across numerous Championship clubs with his Burnley deal coming to an end with Stoke, Preston, Cardiff and Millwall all reportedly holding an interest, according to Alan Nixon.
However it appears Norwich have won the race, report Football Insider. The 33-year-old scored seven and assisted three in 39 Championship appearances, starting in 22 of those with his side securing their return to the top flight.
The article claims the Canaries, who finished one place above City in 13th, have agreed full terms with Barnes as look for Teemu Pukki's replacement. A deal is expected to be finalised soon as clubs aim to get their transfer business concluded early.
Competition for Yan Dhanda
According to The Sun, a number of Championship sides are exploring the possibility of signing former Liverpool attacking midfielder Yan Dhanda. Now at Ross County, playing alongside City loanee Owura Edwards, Dhanda has enjoyed a fine season in Scotland with nine assists and three goals.
Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and newly-promoted Ipswich Town are all said to hold interest with the Scottish top flight side holding out for around £400,000. Dhanda was previously at Swansea and left the Welsh side on a free transfer last summer following 62 appearances across four seasons.
Daniel Johnson to Stoke
Stoke City boss Alex Neil is looking to raid his former club to secure the signing of 30-year-old Preston midfielder Daniel Johnson., according to journalist Darren Witcoop. The pair worked together during Neil's spell at the Lancashire side where Johnson was a key player under his management.
Neil is looking to strengthen his squad this summer following a disappointing campaign with the Potters finishing 16th. They announced their retained list on Wednesday confirming the likes of former City defender Aden Flint, Sam Clucas, Nick Powell and Morgan Fox will all be departing on free transfers.
Johnson, whose contract expires this summer, made 34 league appearances for Preston this season under Ryan Lowe.
Viktor Gyokeres to Wolves
The Coventry frontman is likely to be the source of plenty of transfer speculation over the summer and like Alex Scott, could be heading to the Premier League. Viktor Gyokeres has scored 21 league goals to mount the Sky Blues' promotion charge ahead of their play-off encounter with Middlesbrough on Sunday.
According to Sky Sports, Wolves could be the first club to make the move for the towering Swede as they step up their search for a new striker. Their pursuit is likely to depend on whether Coventry can secure promotion but other top-flight clubs are also circling including Crystal Palace and West Ham.
Gyokeres is unlikely to move on the cheap and could fetch around £25million with Wolves preparing to offload both Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa.
Clarke's a wanted man
Sunderland face a fight to keep winger Jack Clarke this summer with a number of Premier League clubs hopeful of luring him back to the top flight. Alan Nixon writes how Brentford and Crystal Palace are willing to part with £10million after his successful season in the Championship.
Clarke has been instrumental to the Black Cats' surge into the play-offs with the 22-year-old scoring nine and assisting 11 over the season. According to TeamTalk, Sunderland are also set to offer Clarke a new contract to ward off the interest from the Premier League.
The former Tottenham and Leeds forward's future is likely to depend on whether they can secure promotion to the top flight with a play-off first-leg against Luton on Saturday.
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