The international transfer window may have closed for Premier League clubs last week, but they are still permitted to trade players with EFL teams due to a special domestic-only window which is open until 5pm on Friday.
A number of Championship-based players have been fancied to leave their respective clubs throughout the summer and we look into five of them, who could move to the top-flight before the domestic transfer deadline.
Said Benrahma – Brentford:
The Algerian has attracted plenty of interest from Premier League clubs after contributing 17 goals and 10 assists for the Bees last term, where they just missed out on promotion. Of late, West Ham United are understood to have agreed on a £30m package to sign the wide attacker, but the player has yet to undergo a medical due to a dispute with the Bees. Benrahma obviously wants a loyalty bonus from the transfer as he did not request to leave the club and so far, there has been no agreement. The Hammers are, however, hopeful of landing his signature before the deadline. David Moyes’ side have not signed any forward this summer.
Karlan Grant – Huddersfield Town:
West Bromwich Albion’s interest in Karlan Grant is widely known after manager Slaven Bilic publicly confirmed that the club are looking to sign him. Grant had his best-ever return last season where he scored 19 goals in the Championship for the Terriers and that played a key role in them avoiding relegation. He has since been out of contention for the Terriers with new manager Carlos Corberan wanting his future sorted out. Grant, who is comfortable playing on the left wing or as the main striker, has been fancied to join the Baggies on loan with the obligation to buy next summer, if some conditions are met such as them avoiding relegation.
Troy Deeney – Watford:
Deeney has been a loyal player for Watford over the past decade, but he could pursue a fresh challenge with the Hornets no longer plying their trade in the Premier League. The experienced striker, who had previously turned down a move to Leicester City in 2016, is known to be on the radar of West Brom, but the west Midlands outfit don’t consider him as a priority. Grant is obviously their number one attacking target before this week’s transfer deadline, but they have Deeney as an option, suppose their pursuit of the 24-year-old falls through. The Hornets are unlikely to block the departure of their club-captain, should they receive a suitable offer.
Todd Cantwell – Norwich City:
Cantwell was one of Norwich City’s standout performers during the 2019/2020 Premier League campaign. The Canaries were relegated without much of a fight, but the young attacker showed plenty of promise as he ended the season with six goals and two assists from 37 league appearances. The 22-year-old has seen fellow teammates such as Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis return to the top-flight with Everton and Newcastle United respectively and he could potentially do the same. Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta recently confirmed that Cantwell’s performances were analysed last term and it remains to be seen whether they will make a late move to sign him.
Joshua King – Bournemouth:
Bournemouth have seen the departure of a number of regulars after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. Aaron Ramsdale, Nathan Ake and Callum Wilson have all returned to the top-flight alongside Ryan Fraser, who left on a free transfer after his contract expired on June 30. King could be the next high-profile player heading for the exit door in the next few days. The Norway international has vast Premier League experience with 48 goals and 15 assists from 161 outings and he is definitely in demand with both West Ham United and Everton looking to secure his services. The Hammers recently failed with a £13m bid for the versatile forward, but they continue to remain interested.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com