As the new Championship season gets underway, three relegated Premier League clubs headline the list of promotion favourites, though not all of them have enjoyed straightforward preparations for the campaign ahead.
West Ham United appear best placed among the drop-down trio. The retention of Jarrod Bowen was viewed as a significant coup, and manager Nuno Espírito Santo has a squad strong enough to make an instant return look achievable. The Hammers banked considerable fees for Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes, though their business in bringing in replacements has been notably slow, a minor worry heading into the campaign.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, by contrast, have endured turbulence off the pitch. The surprise dismissal of Rob Edwards was followed by the appointment of César Peixoto, a coach with no prior experience in English football, a decision that puzzled many observers. That upheaval has somewhat overshadowed sensible transfer work, with Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez arriving to spearhead the promotion push.
Burnley's search for a new manager was quieter, with Nicky Hayen eventually installed at Turf Moor. He inherits a squad weakened by the departures of Jaidon Anthony, Maxime Estève and Florentino Luís, with incoming transfers doing little to lift spirits among supporters.
Southampton, still reeling from the fallout of the so-called