The transfer window has finally slammed shut, and the 2026/27 Championship campaign is well and truly underway, as Football League World focuses on and assesses the 12 most costly additions made by clubs in the English second tier this summer.
The Championship season is begun for another year, as teams in the English second tier duke it out for one of the three elusive places up for grabs in the Premier League next campaign.
With the play-offs system having been revised, extending the number of clubs capable of qualifying for a place in the final at Wembley from four to six, the level of competition will have only grown.
Championship clubs spent approximately shy of a combined £300 million on incomings this summer, moving up over £100 million from the previous record, as teams in the second tier have spent more than ever constructing their squads for the forthcoming year.
With the window close and the clubs getting deep into the action, FLW has taken a look at the 12 most costly signings made by teams in the Championship this summer, rating them from the least expensive to the most.
12Rafiki Said – £7.7 million
Rafiki Said, a Comoran attacker, joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Belgian club Standard Liege for £7.7 million this summer.
Said, 26, spent his whole career in France before moving to Belgium in 2025, where he has eight goals and four assists in 37 league games last season.
The Comoros international has yet to make a competitive appearance for Wolves after suffering an MCL injury in pre-season, but when he returns to fitness, he will compete for a place in the final third alongside Adam Armstrong, Mateus Mane, Raul Jimenez, and Fer Lopez.
11Anthony Patterson – £8 million
Anthony Patterson joined Wrexham this summer from Premier League club Sunderland, with the North Wales club paying about £8 million to bring the 26-year-old to the Racecourse Ground from Wearside.
Patterson rose through the ranks at The Stadium of Light, becoming the Black Cats’ first-choice goalkeeper during the 2022/23 season and helping his hometown club reach the Premier League in 2025, but he would eventually lose his place in the side to Dutch shot-stopper Robin Roefs following promotion.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Millwall and has now returned to the Championship permanently with Wrexham, replacing Arthur Okonkwo in goal for Phil Parkinson’s side, as Wrexham look to secure their number one spot for the foreseeable future.
10Andre Brooks – £8 million
Andre Brooks had a breakout year with Sheffield United last season, rising through the ranks at Bramall Lane to become one of the club’s most significant players under Chris Wilder.
Sheffield United’s financial troubles caused them to sell a number of undesired players this summer, including Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare, as Brooks joined Norwich City for an initial fee of £8 million, which may rise to £9 million if the Canaries get promoted to the Premier League.
The 23-year-old Jamaican winger will give tough competition on the right flank under Philippe Clement and could be the trigger in Norwich’s chances of securing a play-off spot in May of next year.
9Lewis Dobbin – £9 million
Lewis Dobbin, 23, already has one year of League One experience and two years in the Championship, with loan spells at Derby County, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich, and, most recently, Preston North End.
He scored 11 goals and assisted eight in 41 games in all competitions for Deepdale last season, luring Southampton into paying about £9 million to bring the Everton youth graduate to St Mary’s from Aston Villa this summer.
The English forward has struggled to find form in his first few weeks on the South Coast, but given his previous success in the Championship, there’s no reason to believe this signing won’t pay off in the future.
8George Hirst – £10 million (£6 million + £4 million)
Stoke City had one of the greatest net spends of any Championship club this summer, spending more than £30 million on incomings, though Sorba Thomas’ £10.5 million transfer to Hull City will have helped balance the books slightly.
A portion of that money was spent this summer on Scottish striker George Hirst, with the Potters parting ways with an initial £6 million plus a possible £4 million in add-ons to buy the 27-year-old from Ipswich Town.
Stoke have spent a fortune on attackers over the years, with the likes of Saido Berahino, Sam Vokes, and Benik Afobe alone costing the club almost £30 million, and Mark Robins will be hoping Hirst can finally break that pattern and become a true star in the Potteries.
7Ethan Galbraith – £10 million
Northern Irish midfielder Ethan Galbraith will join Hirst at the bet365 Stadium after joining Stoke for a sum of around £10 million from Welsh club Swansea City.
During his one-year stint in South Wales, the 25-year-old alternated between right-back and midfield, but Robins appears to have pushed him into a more advanced midfield role, with three goals in his first five league games for his new club.
He becomes Stoke’s most expensive signing since the summer of 2019, following the club’s relegation, and fans will be hoping he is worth every cent.
6Radek Vitek – £14 million (£7 million + £7 million)
Radek Vitek, a Czech goalkeeper, spent the 2025/26 season on loan from Manchester United to Bristol City in the Championship, where he succeeded in his debut year.
According to FotMob, the 22-year-old saved 7.36 league goals last season while at Ashton Gate, and his efforts between the posts enticed Middlesbrough to invest an initial £7 million, with another £7 million in add-ons, to bring him to the Riverside this summer.
He replaces Sol Brynn between the pipes since Kim Hellberg has decided not to take such a risk this season and will rely on Vitek to win games on his own as needed throughout the season.
5Edvin Austbo – £18 million
West Ham United’s summer transfer window took some time to open, but once it did, the Hammers flexed their financial might over the rest of the league, with Norwegian winger Edvin Austbo joining the club.
Austbo, 21, joins East London from Viking for about £18 million. He scored 15 goals in 71 games in all competitions for the Norwegian club, helping them qualify for the Champions League before leaving.
As Nuno Espírito Santo aims to return the Hammers to the Premier League, he will compete on the left wing with Manor Solomon and Keiber Lamadrid.
4Ashley Phillips – £20 million (£7 million + £13 million)
Ashley Phillips, despite being only 21, has been a fixture in the Championship for the previous three seasons, having already made over a century of appearances in the division during loan spells with Plymouth Argyle and Stoke, the latter of which he joined twice.
The England youth international, who is also eligible to represent Wales, signed with Middlesbrough this summer for an initial fee of £7 million, with a further £13 million in bonuses and add-ons.
Capable of bringing the ball out of the back line and a Goliath of a defender, if Phillips reaches his full potential, Boro’s £20 million investment for the center-back will be more than justified.
3Will Lankshear – £20 million (£10 million + £10 million)
Will Lankshear, the final addition to Middlesbrough’s summer shopping binge, joined the club from Spurs this summer, costing Hellberg’s side £10 million upfront, with another £10 million in add-ons and different incentives.
The 21-year-old had an outstanding year on loan with Oxford United in the Championship last season, and with five goals in his first five games this year, the Englishman has had a fantastic start to life at the club.
Borough will be looking to regain the clinical edge they lacked last season, and that Lankshear can propel them back to the top flight after nearly a decade away.
2Florentino Luis – £20.8 million
Florentino Luis spent the season on loan from Portuguese club Benfica with Burnley in the Premier League, making 31 appearances but failing to help the Clarets avoid relegation to the Championship.
Despite this, Burnley bought the midfielder for roughly £20.8 million after his obligation-to-buy clause was met, but he will not be staying at Turf Moor for the season, having agreed to join Ipswich Town for around £19 million.
While he will not play in the second division this season, he is still the second-most costly Championship signing in history, trailing only the player listed below.
1Arne Engels – £22 million
West Ham set the EFL transfer record this summer by signing Belgian midfielder Arne Engels with £22 million from Scottish club Celtic.
This fee exceeds the £17.5 million spent by Ipswich Town a year ago to lure Sindre Walle Egeli to Portman Road from FC Nordsjaelland, as Engels comes with a wealth of experience.
Arne Engels Celtic Scottish Premiership statistics 2025/26 (Source: FotMob)
Appearances
30
Goals
5
Assists: 3 Chances created: 42 Touches in opposing box
63
Defensive contributions.
82
During his two years in Parkhead after a period in the Bundesliga with Augsburg, the Belgian was typically one of the first names on the teamsheet, scoring 39 direct goals in exactly 100 appearances across all competitions for the Bhoys.
Now, Engels will seek to lead his new team back to the Premier League, and if he succeeds, he will be well worth his money.
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