Done Deals: Our 9 favourite transfers from the Championship, League One and League Two - plus all 41 new signings
This week’s bulletin covers arrivals at Bristol City, Middlesbrough, QPR, Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield, Burton, Northampton and Tranmere.
Straight-up, honest favouritism. That’s the name of the bloody game.
Welcome to Done Deals, your weekly guide to every EFL transfer. Today, Sam Parry (Championship), Huw Davies (League One) and Craig Bradley (League Two) are picking their favourite bits of business from the week that was.
In the Championship…
Sam Parry
1. Will Lankshear (ST) - [Tottenham - Middlesbrough] - Undisclosed (reported £10m + add-ons)
Last week I wrote about Boro signing Kyle Joseph and my thinking that he would be used as a No.9. With Morgan Rogers moving from Aston Villa to Chelsea for a rumoured £117m, Middlesbrough haven’t been slow to get the wallet out, despite reports that they will not receive their entire sell-on windfall in one chunk.
Anyhow. No bones about it: Will Lankshear’s arrival is an upgrade for Kim Hellberg’s squad. What it means for Joseph is, more than likely, fewer minutes through the middle and more time as a blood-and-thunder pressing right winger. When the facts change, I change with them.
The obvious line is that Lankshear has been signed to convert all of those chances that went begging for Boro last season. That point is perhaps a little overstated, though. Boro ranked 11th for big chances missed and scored 69 goals from 72.5 xG, so there was some underperformance but nothing dramatic.
Still, a finisher was wanted and a finisher is what they have got. Of Lankshear’s 11 goals in 2025/26, seven came with his right foot, one with his left and three with his head. Ten were scored from inside the box, while four came from set-piece situations. Among Championship players who played at least 2,500 minutes and scored at a rate of 0.25 goals per 90 or better, Lankshear ranked third for shot conversion at 18.97%, behind only Zan Vipotnik and Oli McBurnie.
Ability and availability, then.
Perhaps what Boro lacked was not simply a finisher at the top of the pitch, but a presence. They have more of that now.
Lankshear has a big frame, which he uses to occupy centre-backs; he’s good at bringing the ball down but can make runs in behind, too. That variety matters. He isn’t reliant on one particular finish or one route to goal. He can anticipate loose balls, attack crosses, hold his position between defenders and make himself a problem whenever the ball enters the box.
The 21-year-old’s link play is, perhaps predictably, that of a player who has started only 38 senior games. There are moments when a good first touch is let down by the pass that follows. Playing for Hellberg, that side of his game will need to improve. No matter. Coaching comes as part of the Hellberg bargain.
A poacher turned game-changer? We think it’s on the cards.
2. Lorent Tolaj (ST) - [Plymouth Argyle - Bristol City] - Undisclosed
Another striker on the move…
This time, we called it more than a month ago. In short: “Tolaj is a good all-rounder, able to link play and create as well as score.” It makes sense for Bristol City to bring him in following the sale of Sinclair Armstrong.
We like it. We like Tolaj. He’s got that fire (five yellows and a crazy red last term).
More to the point, he has proven himself an incredible goalscorer as he’s quickly worked his way up from the non-league to the second tier.
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3. Tariq Lamptey (RB) - [Fiorentina - QPR] - Free
Any FIFA gamer (and I’m not calling it ‘EA Sports FC’) who has clutched the right bumper while controlling Tariq Lamptey will recognise that blistering pace and tidy close control make him an absolute demon. On the game, anyway. In real life, much of the same applies.
