Deals have been slow, but there's plenty of Championship activity

THE Championship has proven over the last couple of months that even the close-season is no escape from the drama. Stoke City, who return to Clayton Wood for the start of pre-season this morning, have been outliers as busy but quiet.

- 

It has been a hectic couple of months in terms of managerial switches since the last day of the 2024/25 campaign and it has taken until the eve of pre-season for it to show signs of finally settling down, albeit not everywhere.

There are new bosses in place at Norwich, West Brom, Watford, Hull, Southampton, Bristol City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough while QPR have formally cut ties with Marti Cifuentes and appointed Julien Stephan.

Leicester City could swing the axe on Ruud van Nistelrooy on July 1, the first day of the new football accounting year — when an automatic reduction in wages is likely to kick in and subsequently soften any pay off. Sean Dyche is favourite to replace him.