ASTON VILLA
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo
Position last season: 20th in Premier League
Nickname: Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,660
Players in: Tommy Elphick (Bournemouth, £3million), Pierluigi Gollini (Hellas Verona, undisclosed), Aaron Tshibola (Reading, undisclosed)
Players out: Charles N'Zogbia, Kieran Richardson (both released), Callum Robinson (Preston, undisclosed), Riccardo Calder (Doncaster, loan), Joshua Webb (Kilmarnock, free)
Key man: Tommy Elphick
Chances: Much will depend on the turnover of players at Villa Park and how the club adapts to being out of the top flight for the first time in almost 30 years - Villa will be a prize scalp for every team. Di Matteo knows the division having got West Brom promoted in 2010 while new signings Elphick and Tshibola also have Championship know-how and are shrewd additions.
BARNSLEY
Manager: Paul Heckingbottom
Position last season: 6th in League One
Nickname: Reds
Ground: Oakwell
Capacity: 23,287
Players in: Kayden Jackson (Wrexham, free), Stefan Payne (Dover, undisclosed), Andy Yiadom (Barnet, free), George Moncur (Colchester, £500,000), Elliot Lee (West Ham, free), Tom Bradshaw (Walsall, £650,000)
Players out: George Smith (released), George Williams (MK Dons, free), George Maris (Cambridge, free), Harry White (Solihull Moors, free), Paul Digby (Ipswich, free), Otis Khan (Yeovil, free), Jak McCourt (Northampton, free),
Key man: Adam Hammill
Chances: Barnsley finished last season on the crest of a wave, losing just three matches after Christmas on their way to winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and promotion. Heckingbottom, now permanent manager, will look to carry on that momentum and he has recruited well so far this summer.
BIRMINGHAM
Manager: Gary Rowett
Position last season: 10th
Nickname: Blues
Ground: St Andrew's
Capacity: 30,016
Players in: James Vaughan (Huddersfield, free), Jack Storer (Stevenage, undisclosed), Robert Tesche (Nottingham Forest, free), Ryan Shotton (Derby, free)
Players out: Mitch Hancox, Neal Eardley (both released), Emmanuel Mbende (Chemnitzer, free), Mark Duffy (Sheffield United, free), Wes Thomas (Oxford, free), David Edgar (Vancouver Whitecaps, free), Lee Novak (Charlton, free), Denny Johnstone (Colchester, undisclosed)
Key man: Clayton Donaldson
Chances: After stabilising a sinking ship during his first season in charge Rowett laid some solid foundations on which to build in his first full campaign at the helm. Following successive 10th-placed finishes, Blues should now be looking to push on and mount a serious play-off challenge.
BLACKBURN
Manager: Owen Coyle
Position last season: 15th
Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Ewood Park
Capacity: 31,367
Players in: Anthony Stokes (Celtic, free), Stephen Hendrie (West Ham, loan), Danny Graham (Sunderland, free), Liam Feeney (Bolton, free), Jack Byrne (Manchester City, loan)
Players out: Matt Kilgallon, Chris Brown, Lee Williamson, Nathan Delfouneso (all released), Simon Eastwood (Oxford, free), Simeon Jackson (Walsall, free) Grant Hanley (Newcastle, undisclosed), Anton Forrester (Port Vale, free), Chris Taylor (Bolton, free), Tommy Spurr (Preston, free), Yann Songo'o (Plymouth, free)
Key man: Shane Duffy
Chances: Rovers start a fifth straight campaign outside the top flight with optimism in short supply. Paul Lambert left because of a perceived lack of ambition and Owen Coyle's appointment did not appease supporters. A top-half finish must still be the aim, though, with Danny Graham and Anthony Stokes capable of filling the Jordan Rhodes void.
BRENTFORD
Manager: Dean Smith
Position last season: 9th
Nickname: The Bees
Ground: Griffin Park
Capacity: 12,300
Players in: Romaine Sawyers (Walsall, free), John Egan (Gillingham, free), Dan Bentley (Southend, compensation)
Players out: Mark Smith (released), Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Jake Bidwell (QPR, undisclosed), Dan O'Shaughnessy (Cheltenham, free), David Button (Fulham, undisclosed), Courtney Senior (Colchester, free)
Key man: Scott Hogan
Chances: Brentford finished last term strongly, winning seven of their last nine matches, and Smith, in his first full season in charge, will hope to carry that momentum into the new campaign. Much will depend on whether striker Hogan, who signed off last season with seven goals in four games, can stay fit following two cruciate injuries.
BRIGHTON
Manager: Chris Hughton
Position last season: 3rd
Nickname: The Seagulls
Ground: American Express Community Stadium
Capacity: 30,250
Players in: Glenn Murray (Bournemouth, loan), Ben Hall (Motherwell, undisclosed), Steve Sidwell (Stoke, free), Tyler Hornby-Forbes (Fleetwood, undisclosed)
Players out: Gordon Greer, Bobby Zamora, Andrew Crofts, Adam Chicksen (all released), Jake Forster-Caskey (Rotherham, loan), Glen Rea (Luton, undisclosed), Inigo Calderon (Anorthosis Famagusta, free), Tom Dallison (Cambridge, free), Chris O'Grady (Burton, loan), Christian Walton (Luton, loan)
Key man: Anthony Knockaert
Chances: Something of a surprise package last season, Brighton agonisingly missed out on automatic promotion on goal difference on the final day of the campaign before failing in the play-offs. Re-signing Murray and getting Sidwell to stay are good moves by Hughton and if Albion can keep hold of Knockaert they should challenge again.
BRISTOL CITY
Manager: Lee Johnson
Position last season: 18th
Nickname: Robins
Ground: Ashton Gate
Capacity: 16,600
Players in: Johnny Smith (Wrexham, undisclosed), Josh Brownhill (Preston, compensation), Gary O'Neil (Norwich, free), Diego De Girolamo (Sheff Utd, free), Hordur Magnusson (Juventus, undisclosed), Lee Tomlin (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Callum O'Dowda (Oxford, undisclosed)
Players out: Karleigh Osbourne (Plymouth, free), Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham, free), Adam El-Abd (Shrewsbury, free), Wes Burns (Aberdeen, loan)
Key man: Aden Flint
Chances: City made an unsteady start to life back in the Championship last season but found their groove during the second half of the campaign and stayed up comfortably in the end. Johnson will want improvement in his first full season in charge and his recruitment so far bodes well.
BURTON
Manager: Nigel Clough
Position last season: 2nd in League One
Nickname: The Brewers
Ground: Pirelli Stadium
Capacity: 6,912
Players in: Ben Turner (Cardiff, free), Kyle McFadzean (MK Dons, undisclosed), Chris O'Grady (Brighton, loan), Jackson Irvine (Ross County, undisclosed)
Players out: Timmy Thiele, Dean Lyness (both released), Robbie Weir (Leyton Orient, free), George Taft (Mansfield, free), Anthony O'Connor (Aberdeen, loan), Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon, free), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (Manly United, free), Sam Austin (Kidderminster, free), Mark Shelton (Ilkeston town, free)
Key man: Lucas Akins
Chances: Just reaching the Championship for the first time in the club's relatively short history is remarkable. They are not there merely to make up the numbers but survival and remaining in the second tier for another season would surely surpass anything achieved so far. Much will depend on Clough's recruitment, though.
CARDIFF
Manager: Paul Trollope
Position last season: 8th
Nickname: Bluebirds
Ground: Cardiff City Stadium
Capacity: 33,280
Players in: Lex Immers (Feyenoord, free), Kenneth Zohore (KV Kortrijk, undisclosed), Jazz Richards (Fulham, swap), Frederic Gounongbe (KVC Westerlo, free)
Players out: Ben Turner (Burton, free), Kenwyne Jones (Atlanta United, free), Joe Lewis (Aberdeen, free), Etien Velikonja (NK Olimpija Ljubljana, free), Filip Kiss (FK Haugesund, free), Idriss Saadi (KV Kortrijk, loan), Deji Oshilaja (Gillingham, loan), Eoin Doyle (Preston, undisclosed), Jazzi Barnum-Bobb (Newport, free), Scott Malone (Fulham, swap),
Key man: David Marshall
Chances: The absence of off-field turmoil last season coincided with a good campaign on the pitch for the Bluebirds as the play-offs proved just out of reach. Trollope has made the step up to manager and will hope to hit the ground running as his side look to bridge that six-point gap between themselves and the top six.
DERBY
Manager: Nigel Pearson
Position last season: 5th
Nickname: The Rams
Ground: iPro Stadium
Capacity: 33,597
Players in: None
Players out: Tom Koblenz, Mats Morch (both released), Kwame Thomas (Coventry, free), Shaquille McDonald (Nuneaton, free), Ryan Shotton (Birmingham, undisclosed), Raul Albentosa (Deportivo La Coruna, undisclosed), Stephen Warnock (Wigan, free), Conor Sammon (Hearts, free), Ivan Calero (Sparta Rotterdam, free),
Key man: Will Hughes
Chances: Nearly men for the past three seasons, Derby will be there or thereabouts again come May. The difference could prove to be the manager as in Pearson they now have a man who has been there and done it in the Championship.
FULHAM
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Position last season: 20th
Nickname: The Cottagers
Ground: Craven Cottage
Capacity: 25,700
Players in: Sone Aluko (Hull, free), Floyd Ayite (SC Bastia, undisclosed), Michael Madl (Sturn Graz, undisclosed), Tomas Kalas (Chelsea, loan), Denis Odoi (Lokeren, undisclosed), David Button (Brentford, undisclosed), Scott Malone (Cardiff, swap)
Players out: Josh Passley (released), Maarten Stekelenburg (Everton, undisclosed), Moussa Dembele (Celtic, compensation), Emerson Hyndman (Bournemouth, compensation), Andy Lonergan (Wolves, free), Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall, free), Hugo Rodallega (Akhisar Belediye Genclik ve Spor, free), Tim Hoogland (VfL Bochum, free), Gabor Kiraly (Szombathelyi Haladas, free), Chris David (Go Ahead Eagles, free), Adil Chihi (Frankfurt, free), Solomon Sambou (Bedford Town, free), Jonathan Buatu (Waasland-Beveren, free), Noe Baba (Birmingham, free), Dan Burn (Wigan, free), Jazz Richards (Cardiff, swap), Cameron Burgess (Oldham, loan)
Key man: Ross McCormack
Chances: Fulham have struggled to adjust to life in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League two years ago, finishing 17th and 20th in the second tier. It is hard to see them improving much this time around and should McCormack leave before the transfer window closes you would worry for Fulham.
HUDDERSFIELD
Manager: David Wagner
Position last season: 19th
Nickname: Terriers
Ground: John Smith's Stadium
Capacity: 24,500
Players in: Rajiv van La Parra (Wolves, undisclosed), Michael Hefele (Dynamo Dresden, free), Chris Loewe (FC Kaiserslauten, free), Luke Coddington (Middlesbrough, free), Joel Coleman (Oldham, undisclosed), Ivan Paurevic (FC Ufa, undisclosed), Jack Payne (Southend, compensation), Christopher Schindler (TSV 1860 Munich, undisclosed), Elias Kachunga (FC Ingolstadt 04, loan), Aaron Mooy (Manchester City, season-long loan), Jon Gorenc Stankovic (Borussia Dortmund, undisclosed), Danny Ward (Liverpool, season-long loan), Kasey Palmer (Chelsea, loan),
Players out: Ishmael Miller, Lloyd Allinson, Joe Wilkinson, Ben Holmes, Ed Wilczynski, Sam Guthrie, Callum Charlton (all released), James Vaughan (Birmingham, free), Karim Matmour (TSV 1860 Munich, free), Duane Holmes (Scunthorpe, free), Joe Wright (Doncaster, undisclosed), William Boyle (Kilmarnock, loan), Flo Bojaj (Kilmarnock, loan), Joel Lynch (QPR, undisclosed), Jordy Hiwula (Bradford, loan)
Key man: Christopher Schindler
Chances: Huddersfield have finished 19th, 17th, 16th and 19th since winning promotion back to the Championship in 2012 and their target of a top-half finish looks a tough challenge for Wagner in his first full season in charge. There has been a high turnover of players during the summer and they will need to gel quickly.
IPSWICH
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Position last season: 7th
Nickname: Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Capacity: 30,311
Players in: Adam Webster (Portsmouth, £750,000), Paul Digby (Barnsley, free)
Players out: Luke Varney, Jay Tabb (both released), Josh Yorwerth (Crawley, free), Matt Clarke (Portsmouth, free)
Key man: Daryl Murphy
Chances: Fell just short of the play-offs last time as a lack of goals perhaps cost them a serious promotion tilt with Murphy, 27 goals in 2014-15, not scoring until November. If McCarthy can get him firing straight away and maybe add another striker then the Tractor Boys can get back in the top six.
LEEDS
Manager: Garry Monk
Position last season: 13th
Nickname: Whites
Ground: Elland Road
Capacity: 39,460
Players in: Marcus Antonsson (Kalmar, undisclosed), Kyle Bartley (Swansea, loan), Hadi Sacko (Sporting Lisbon, loan), Robert Green (QPR, free), Matt Grimes (Swansea, loan), Kemar Roofe (Oxford, undisclosed)
Players out: Eric Grimes, Tom Lyman, Robbie McDaid, Jake Skelton, Lewis Walters, Scott Wootton (all released), Giuseppe Bellusci (Empoli, loan), Casper Sloth (Aalborg, undisclosed), Lee Erwin (Oldham, loan), Lewis Cook (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Mirco Antenucci (SPAL, free), Ross Killock (Chester, free)
Key man: Kemar Roofe
Chances: With seven managers in just over two years, Leeds need stability. In Monk they have a very capable boss but he must be given time by trigger-happy owner Massimo Cellino. If he is then Leeds could prosper and we might be talking about the club's football, rather than the off-field circus we have become accustomed to.
NEWCASTLE
Manager: Rafa Benitez
Position last season: 18th in Premier League
Nickname: The Magpies
Ground: St James Park
Capacity: 52,405
Players in: Matz Sels (Gent, undisclosed), Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Matt Ritchie (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Jesus Gamez (Atletico Madrid, free), Isaac Hayden (Arsenal, undisclosed), Grant Hanley (Blackburn, undisclosed),
Players out: Steven Taylor (released), Ben Pollock (Hartlepool, free), Jamie Cobain (Kilmarnock, free), Papiss Cisse (Shandong Luneng, undisclosed), Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace, £13million), Fabricio Coloccini (San Lorenzo, free), Liam Smith (Crewe, loan)
Key man: Moussa Sissoko
Chances: Persuading Benitez to stay was a huge coup and it is no surprise Newcastle are the bookmakers' favourites for the title. The Spaniard has made some good additions to an already strong squad at this level and they will be feared and difficult to beat, especially at home.
NORWICH
Manager: Alex Neil
Position last season: 19th in Premier League
Nickname: The Canaries
Ground: Carrow Road
Capacity: 27,244
Players in: Sergi Canos (Liverpool, £4.5million), Michael McGovern (Hamilton, free),
Players out: Jamar Loza, Reiss Awuah, Afolabi Coker, Reece Hall-Johnson, Cameron King, Cameron Norman, Arinse Uade (all released), Nathan Redmond (Southampton, £10million), Gary O'Neil (Bristol City, free), Adel Gafaiti (MC Oran, free), Jake Kean (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Remi Matthews (Hamilton, loan)
Key man: Cameron Jerome
Chances: Norwich bounced straight back up the last time they were relegated in 2014 and have a good chance of repeating the trick with Steven Whittaker, Wes Hoolahan, Alex Tettey, Michael Turner and Jerome all having signing new deals over the summer and committing to the cause. Redmond is a loss but the rest of the squad's Championship know-how will be invaluable.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Manager: Philippe Montanier
Position last season: 16th
Nickname: The Reds
Ground: City Ground
Capacity: 30,603
Players in: Apostolos Vellios (Iraklis Thessaloniki, undisclosed), Thomas Lam (PEC Zwolle, free)
Players out: Kelvin Wilson, Chris Burke (both released), Robert Tesche (Birmingham, free)
Key man: Britt Assombalonga
Chances: Assombalonga was a huge miss last season for Forest. The striker is fit again after a year out with a serious knee injury and the club-record signing's return will be like having a new player. Clean sheets were a problem last season and Montanier must remedy that if the Reds are to have a chance of mounting a play-off challenge.
PRESTON
Manager: Simon Grayson
Position last season: 11th
Nickname: The Lilywhites
Ground: Deepdale
Capacity: 23,404
Players in: Chris Maxwell (Fleetwood, free), Simon Makienok (Palermo, loan), Anders Lindegaard (West Brom, free), Eoin Doyle (Cardiff, undisclosed), Tommy Spurr (Blackburn, free), Callum Robinson (Aston Villa, compensation), Ben Pringle (Fulham, undisclosed)
Players out: Neil Kilkenny, Andy Little, Kyel Reid (all released), Jamie Jones (Stevenage, undisclosed), Josh Brownhill (Bristol City, compensation), Chris Kirkland (Bury, free)
Key man: Bailey Wright
Chances: A commendable top-half finish last term was achieved by a defensively-sound team who conceded only 45 times. Having scored that exact amount too, Grayson will hope they can score more. A fully-fit Jermaine Beckford should make a difference and another top-half finish would be seen as a decent season.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Manager: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Position last season: 12th
Nickname: The Hoops
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,439
Players in: Jake Bidwell (Brentford, undisclosed), Ariel Borysiuk (Legia Warsaw, £800,000), Joel Lynch (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Jordan Cousins (Charlton, £1.25million),
Players out: Oscar Gobern, Yun Suk-Young, Samba Diakite, Armand Traore, Alejandro Faurlin (all released), Clint Hill (Rangers, free), Robert Green (Leeds, free), Leroy Fer (Swansea, undisclosed), Matt Phillips (West Brom, £5.5million), Jake Mulraney (Inverness, free), Addison Garnett (Crawley, free)
Key man: Conor Washington
Chances: Hasselbaink took over in December and QPR drew 13 of his 27 matches in charge. If the Dutchman can figure out how to turn some of those into wins and spend some of the money wisely from the sales of Matt Phillips and Leroy Fer, then the Hoops can challenge for the play-offs.
READING
Manager: Jaap Stam
Position last season: 17th
Nickname: Royals
Ground: Madejski Stadium
Capacity: 24,161
Players in: Danzell Gravenberch (FC Dordrecht, undisclosed), Anssi Jaakkola (Ajax Cape Town, free), Joey van den Berg (Heerenveen, free), Joseph Mendes (Le Havre, undisclosed), John Swift (Chelsea, free), Roy Beerens (Hertha Berlin, undisclosed)
Players out: Anton Ferdinand, Hal Robson-Kanu (both released), Rowan Liburd (Stevenage, undisclosed), Aaron Tshibola (Aston Villa, £5million), Simon Cox (Southend, free)
Key man: John Swift
Chances: Reading finished the season in freefall, losing eight of their last 12 games. Stam will want to establish a winning mentality as quickly as possible but such a turnaround is required for the Royals to be considered as top-six contenders again and a season of mid-table obscurity probably beckons in the Dutchman's first campaign as a manager.
ROTHERHAM
Manager: Alan Stubbs
Position last season: 21st
Nickname: Millers
Ground: New York Stadium
Capacity: 12,021
Players in: Anthony Forde (Walsall, undisclosed), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton, loan), Lewis Price (Sheffield Wednesday, free)
Players out: Frazer Richardson, Lewis Buxton, Danny Collins, Lloyd Doyley, Paul Green, Emmanuel Ledesma, Luciano Becchio (all released), Adam Collin (Notts County, free), Paddy Kenny (Northampton, free), Alex Cairns (Fleetwood, free), Matt Derbyshire (Omonia Nicosia, free), Jerome Thomas (Port Vale, free)
Key man: Lee Frecklington
Chances: After back-to-back promotions, Rotherham have survived successive relegation battles and will now be aiming for a mid-table finish. However, the division is looking as strong as it has ever been and a third fight against the drop beckons.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Manager: Carlos Carvalhal
Position last season: 6th
Nickname: Owls
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,732
Players in: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland, free), Jordan Thorniley (Everton, free), Charlie Hayford (Tottenham, free), Jake Kean (Norwich, free),
Players out: Ryan Croasdale, Brad Beatson, Will De Havilland, Luke Booker (all released), Courtney Wildin (Boston, free), Ryan Meadows (Wigan, free), Lewis Price (Rotherham, free),
Key man: Fernando Forestieri
Chances: Losing in the play-off final will have obviously hurt but if Wednesday can put that Wembley heartache behind them quickly then they will be a force again this year. Carvalhal has added depth to his squad and the acquisition of Fletcher gives the Owls one of the most feared striking quartets in the league.
WIGAN
Manager: Gary Caldwell
Position last season: 1st in League One
Nickname: Latics
Ground: DW Stadium
Capacity: 25,138
Players in: Stephen Warnock (Derby, free), Alex Gilbey (Colchester, undisclosed), Dan Burn (Fulham, free), Kyle Knoyle (West Ham, loan), Nick Powell (Manchester United, free), Adam Bogdan (Wigan, loan),
Players out: Ryan Jennings, Reece Wabara (both released), Chris McCann (Atlanta United, free), Billy McKay (Oldham, loan), Kevin McNaughton (Inverness, free), Leon Barnett (Bury, free)
Key man: Will Grigg
Chances: After two relegations, a promotion and an FA Cup triumph in four seasons, who knows where the Wigan rollercoaster will go next. A complete rebuild was required after demotion to the third tier last summer and manager Gary Caldwell pieced that group together with a Championship return in mind. Survival is the minimum objective.
WOLVES
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Position last season: 14th
Nickname: Wolves
Ground: Molineux
Capacity: 31,700
Players in: Andy Lonergan (Fulham, free)
Players out: Razak Boukari (released), Zeli Ismail (Bury, free), Liam McAlinden (Exeter, free), Aaron McCarey (Ross County, free), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Molde, free), Tommy Rowe (Doncaster, free)
Key man: Nouha Dicko
Chances: It was a disappointing campaign all round last season at Molineux with Dicko's serious knee injury in August setting the tone. Wolves missed his goals and if he can be fit and raring to go for the big kick-off then it will be such a boost for the club. Should improve on last season's finish but the play-offs will probably be beyond them.
Source: PA-WIRE
