Championship News Round-Up

Barnsley: The Tykes have agreed a deal with Stoke to keep defenders Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson on loan until the end of the season.

Bristol City: Gary Johnson’s men have allowed Lee Trundle to extend his loan at Championship rivals Swansea until the end of the season.

Trundle is Swansea’s top scorer this season with five goals, and is widely expected to re-sign for the Welsh club permanently in the summer when his contract at Ashton Gate expires; indeed, he’s already been told that he’s free to leave by Gary Johnson.

At £1 million, I think it’s fair to say that Trundle has been a flop.

Another playing exiting Ashton Gate is the manager’s own son Lee Johnson, who has signed for Derby on a month’s loan.

Meanwhile, City chairman Steve Lansdown has said that Gary Johnson must sell players this month if he wants to bring any new faces to the club. Seems like the purse strings might be tightening at Ashton Gate…

Cardiff: Strange goings on at Cardiff, but then you’d expect that with Peter Risdale.

Manager Dave Jones has talked about being given £3 million to spend this month, with Ben Watson and Steven Reid targets, but newspaper reports suggest that the Bluebirds have been hit by a winding-up order for an unpaid £2.7 million tax bill.

Indeed, it’s understood that Risdale offered to resign as chairman on Sunday following the reports.

Even if Dave Jones is given money to spend this month, he could still be set to lose defender Adam Matthews and midfielder Joe Ledley, with Premiership sides sniffing around both. Jones has already lost the services of defender Riccardo Scimeca, who retired last month through injury.

Derby: Nigel Clough has extended the loan of striker DJ Campbell for a month, perhaps putting the final nail into the coffin in terms of a potential move back to the seaside for the forward.

The Rams also look set to sign Bolton defender Nicky Hunt on a month’s loan in coming days.

Doncaster: Rovers face a difficult job keeping hold of on-loan striker Billy Sharp this month, with several clubs interested in signing the in-form hitman.

Rovers have however secured the services of Wolves defender Jason Shackell on loan until the end of the season.

One player not staying at the club however is midfielder Stuart Elliott, who has been released by mutual consent.

Leicester: The Foxes have extended Martyn Waghorn’s loan deal from Sunderland. The young striker will now remain with Nigel Pearson’s men until the end of the season.

Middlesbrough: The Boro have extended Gary O’Neil’s contract, with the midfielder now set to stay at the Riverside until 2012.

The Boro have also extended striker Marcus Bent’s loan until the middle of the month, and are considering making a move for Rangers striker Kris Boyd whose contract is up this summer.

Newcastle: The Championship leaders have denied that midfielder Geremi has left the club after Turkish side Ankaragucu claimed to have signed him.

Forest: Billy Davies’ side have extended the loan of Aston Villa full back Nicky Shorey until the end of the month.

Peterborough: The Posh have cancelled the contract of midfielder Dean Keates by mutual consent.

Also leaving London Road is defender Russell Martin, who has joined Norwich after enjoying a loan spell there.

The Posh have made a couple of signings though: striker Reuben Reid on loan from West Brom and Histon midfielder Josh Simpson on a permanent transfer following a loan spell.

The Championship side continue to struggle though, despite replacing Dareen Ferguson with Mark Cooper as manager.

Plymouth: New Plymouth manager Paul Mariner has allowed defender Krisztian Timar to join Oldham on a month’s loan, despite the Green Army being under a transfer embargo due to unpaid debts.

Preston: Ah, where to start? Irvine surprisingly sacked, Ferguson Jnr replaces him.

I think that Ferguson might do ok, but it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on without being bankrolled heavily by the board. Talk of the Premiership is very premature though.

Still, if it all goes tits up, at least he’ll have probably made a new friend in Youl Mawene!

Meanwhile, despite conflicting tales of their financial state, the Nobbers have shelled out £750,000 for defender Neill Collins as per his loan deal from Wolves stated.

QPR: Paul Hart has made his first signing since replacing the disgraced Jim Magilton, signing Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme on a month’s loan.

Reading: Despite having no manager since the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, Reading have made moves in the transfer market allowing keeper Mikkel Andersen to remain on loan at Bristol Rovers whilst bringing in Iceland striker Gunnar Thorvaldsson on loan. Meanwhile, striker Simon Church has signed a new deal with the club.

Sheffield United: The Blades have completed the permanent signing of Richard Cresswell following a loan spell, whilst Matt Kilgallon’s agent has vowed that his client will remain with the Blades until at least the end of the season.

Sheffield Wednesday: Alan Shearer has distanced himself from reports suggesting that he might replace sacked manager Brian Laws at Hillsborough.

The Owls have however extended the loan spell of Stoke’s Tom Soares.

Watford: Financial toodoos galore at Vicarage Road.

As I understand it, they’re ok for now, but that might change… oh, I don’t know. Graham Taylor’s interim chairman until the summer anyway.

West Brom: The Baggies have signed defender Gabriel Tamas on loan from Auxerre with a view to a permanent transfer. The Romanian international will require a work permit, however.

Meanwhile, midfielder Graeme Dorrans has signed a new contract and defender Neil Clement has been forced to retire through injury.