English football's third tier prepares for a fascinating campaign, headlined by the extraordinary presence of a club that won the Premier League title just a decade ago. Leicester City's slide down the divisions has been attributed to prolonged mismanagement, and the task of engineering a swift return up the pyramid now falls to Russell Martin. Despite offloading several high earners, Leicester retain enough class to compete at the top, with Harry Souttar and Stephy Mavididi set to support a batch of promising young players who now have a genuine chance to shine.
Elsewhere among the promotion hopefuls, Stockport County have undergone a leadership change, with Jimmy McNulty taking over from long-serving Dave Challinor after last season's playoff final defeat. McNulty, recognised for developing players, has leaned into a youth-focused recruitment strategy while also adding experience through the permanent signing of Ben Osborn and the free-transfer arrival of Eoghan O'Connell.
Sheffield Wednesday remain something of an unknown quantity following a change of ownership and a heavily reshaped squad, though the signing of forward Louie Barry signals ambition. His development could prove pivotal to the Owls' season. At Luton Town, Jack Wilshere enters his second season with a clearer understanding of the division's demands, bolstered by the permanent addition of Kasey Palmer and the arrival of Callum Marshall. Reading, meanwhile, have brought in experienced former Accrington boss John Coleman as assistant to Leam Richardson, a move seen as a shrewd bit of business.
Bradford City have made calculated additions after falling short in last season's playoff semi-finals, with Callum Connolly and Adam Phillips expected to strengthen the squad. Plymouth Argyle, freshly relegated, lost striker Lorent Tolaj to Bristol City but Tom Cleverley will look to Will Evans to fill the void up front.
Among the chasing pack, Huddersfield Town's Martin Drury begins his first senior managerial role, supported by experienced figures including Alan Knill, while loan signing Matty Young and new arrival Ashley Fletcher add quality at both ends. MK Dons acted decisively following promotion, recruiting proven League One performers such as Ryan Wintle, Cohen Bramall, Dan Barlaser, Sam Silvera and Sam Nombe.
Wigan Athletic and Blackpool appear unlikely to challenge for promotion given their relatively low-key transfer activity, while Barnsley's Daniel Stendel will rely on a young squad featuring talents like Reyes Cleary. At Oxford United, Aaron Ramsey takes charge full-time amid uncertainty, compounded by an EFL-imposed transfer embargo and a serious injury to new signing Frankie Kent.
Leyton Orient have strengthened defensively through Fin Stevens, Joseph Olowu and Isaac Hayden, and replaced departing forward Dom Ballard with club-record signing Jaze Kabia. Wycombe Wanderers, under Michael Duff, have added free transfer Steve Cook, while Stevenage's Alex Revell faces a challenge after losing Charlie Goode and Harvey White. Mansfield Town's Nigel Clough, the division's longest-serving manager after Arsenal's Mikel Arteta among English professional clubs, has paired veterans David McGoldrick and Michael Smith in attack, a partnership with a combined age of 72.
At the other end of the table, Notts County face a difficult campaign after selling top scorer Alassana Jatta, while newly-promoted Bromley must adapt to competing against clubs with considerably greater resources. Burton Albion, having narrowly avoided relegation in consecutive seasons, added goalkeeper Corey Addai but questions remain over striking depth. Cambridge United and AFC Wimbledon both enter the season with survival as a realistic first target.
Several young talents are expected to draw attention this season, including Stockport's 18-year-old midfielder James Bailey, Sheffield Wednesday's homegrown attacking talent Will Grainger, and Barnsley's Welsh international Vimal Yoganathan.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.