Ins and outs of the Championship

How the close-season transfers, loans and retirements affect the squads pursuing entry into the Premiership promised land

* BARNSLEY Manager Andy Ritchie

Ins: Michael McIndoe (Doncaster, undisclosed), Sam Togwell (Crystal Palace, undisc), Michael Coulson (Scarborough).

Outs: Scott Flinders (Crystal Palace, £1m), Chris Shuker (Tranmere), Barry Conlon (Darlington), Stephen McPhail (Cardiff), Matt Carbon & Richard Kell (both rel).

* BIRMINGHAM Manager Steve Bruce

Ins: Cameron Jerome (Cardiff, £3m), Neil Danns (Colchester, £850,000), Stephen Kelly (Tottenham, £750,000), Bruno N'Gotty (Bolton).

Outs: Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool, £6.7m), Emile Heskey (Wigan, £5.5m), Nico Vaesen (Lierse), Stan Lazaridis (Perth Glory), Kenny Cunningham (Sunderland), Carl Motteram (Torquay), Jamie Clapham (Wolves), Mario Melchiot (Rennes), Muzzy Izzet, Njaki Kuqi, Nick Wright, David Howland, Sam Oji, Sone Aluko, Andy Legzdins, Andy Bagnall, Asa Hall, Oliver Allen, Sam Alsop, Chris Cottrill, James Dormand & Chris Sutton (all rel).

* BURNLEY Manager Steve Cotterill

Ins: Andy Gray (Sunderland, £750,000), Alan Mahon (Wigan, £200,00), Steve Jones & Stephen Foster (both Crewe).

Outs: Daniel Karbassiyoon, Martin Reilly, Mark Crossley (all rel).

* CARDIFF Manager Dave Jones

Ins: Michael Chopra (Newcastle, £500,000), Roger Johnson (Wycombe, £275,000), Glenn Loovens (Feyenoord, undisc), Stephen McPhail (Barnsley), Kevin McNaughton (Aberdeen), Malvin Kamara & Nick McKoy (both MK Dons), Mark Howard (Arsenal), Luigi Glombard (Nantes), Kerrea Gilbert (Arsenal, loan), Willo Flood (Man City, £300,000), Kevin Campbell (West Brom).

Outs: Cameron Jerome (Birmingham, £3m), Neil Cox (Crewe), Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu (Gillingham), Tareq Khalil (Bournemouth), Neil Ardley (Millwall).

* COLCHESTER UNITED Caretaker manager Geraint Williams

Ins: Jamie Cureton (Swindon), Johnnie Jackson (Tottenham).

Outs: Neil Danns (Birmingham, £850,000), Stephen Hunt (Notts County), Liam Chilvers (Preston), Tony Thorpe (Stevenage), Sam Stockley (Wycombe).

* COVENTRY CITY Manager Micky Adams

Ins: Elliott Ward (West Ham, £1m), Wayne Andrews (Crystal Palace), Mikkel Bischoff (Manchester City), Colin Cameron (Wolves), Andy Marshall (Millwall), Jay Tabb (Brentford), David McNamee (Livingston, £100,000).

Outs: James Scowcroft (Crystal Palace, £500,000), Richard Shaw (Millwall), Clayton Ince (Walsall), Adrian Williams (Swindon), Dennis Wise (Swindon, manager).

* CRYSTAL PALACE Manager Peter Taylor

Ins: Leon Cort (Hull, £1.25m), Scott Flinders (Barnsley, £1m), James Scowcroft (Coventry, £500,000), Carl Fletcher (West Ham, £400,000), Matt Lawrence (Millwall, undisc), Mark Kennedy (Wolves).

Outs: Andy Johnson (Everton, £8.6m), Fitz Hall (Wigan, £3m), Emerson Boyce (Crystal Palace, £1m), Mikele Leigertwood (Sheffield United, £600,000), Sam Togwell (Barnsley, undisc), Wayne Andrews (Coventry), Glenn Wilson (Rushden), Tony Popovic (Al Arabi Qatar), Aki Riihilahti (rel).

* DERBY COUNTY Manager Billy Davies

In: Steve Howard (Luton, £1m).

Outs: Pablo Mills (Rotherham), Tomasz Hajto (LKS Lodz), Lionel Ainsworth (Bournemouth, loan), Jeff Kenna & Kevin Poole (both rel).

* HULL CITY Manager Phil Parkinson

Ins: Michael Turner (Brentford, £350,000), Sam Ricketts (Swansea, £325,000), Dean Marney (Tottenham, undisc), David Livermore (Leeds, undisc).

Outs: Leon Cort (Crystal Palace, £1.25m), Robbie Stockdale & Kevin Ellison (both Tranmere), Scott Wiseman (Rotherham, loan).

* IPSWICH TOWN Manager Jim Magilton

In: None.

Outs: Kevin Horlock (Doncaster), Dean McDonald (Gillingham), Aidan Collins, Gerard Nash, Adam Proudlock & Scott Mitchell (all rel).

* LEEDS UNITED Manager Kevin Blackwell

Ins: Kevin Nicholls (Luton, £750,000), David Livermore (Millwall, undisc), Sebastien Carole (Brighton), Geoff Horsfield (Sheff Utd, loan), Tony Warner (Fulham, loan).

Outs: Rob Hulse (Sheffield United, £2.1m), Simon Walton (Charlton, £500,000), Danny Pugh (Preston North End, £250,000), David Livermore (Hull, undisc), Michael Ricketts (Southend), Jermaine Wright (Southampton), Ian Bennett (Sheffield United), Ben Parker (Bradford, loan).

* LEICESTER CITY Manager Rob Kelly

Ins: Gareth McAuley (Lincoln), Andy Johnson (West Brom), Josh Low (Northampton), Darren Kenton (Southampton).

Outs: Joey Gudjonsson (AZ Alkmaar), Lee Morris (Yeovil), Ashley Chambers (rel).

* LUTON TOWN Manager Mike Newell

Ins: Adam Boyd (Hartlepool, £500,000), Richard Langley (QPR), Lewis Emanuel (Bradford).

Outs: Steve Howard (Derby, £1m), Kevin Nicholls (Leeds United, £750,000), Enoch Showunmi (Bristol City).

* NORWICH CITY Manager Nigel Worthington

In: Lee Croft (Manchester City, £600,000).

Outs: Jason Jarrett (Preston, undisc), Shane Herbert (Cambridge), Simon Charlton (rel).

* PLYMOUTH ARGYLE Manager Ian Holloway

Ins: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Manchester United, £200,000), Barry Hayles (Millwall, £100,000), Josh Clapham (unattached).

Out Mickey Evans (Torquay).

* PRESTON NORTH END Manager Paul Simpson

Ins: Danny Pugh (Leeds, £250,000), Sean St Ledger (Peterborough, £225,000), Jason Jarrett (Norwich, undisc), Kelvin Wilson (Notts County, undisc), Liam Chilvers (Colchester).

Outs: Claude Davis (Sheffield United, £2.5m), Tyrone Mears (West Ham, £1m), Chris Lucketti (Sheffield United, £300,000), Gavin Ward (Tranmere), Richie Baker (Bury), Dave Hibbert (Rotherham, loan), Mark Jackson (rel).

* QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS Manager Gary Waddock

Ins: Damion Stewart (Bradford), Egutu Oliseh (La Louvière), Armel Tchakounte (Kitchee FC), Nick Ward (Perth Glory), Adam Czerkas (Kolporter Korona, loan).

Outs: Ugo Ukah (Nourese Calcio, undisc), Dean Sturridge (Kidderminster), Richard Langley (Luton), Georges Santos, Ryan Johnson, Sammy Youssouf, Luke Townsend (all rel).

* SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY Manager Paul Sturrock

Ins: Wade Small (MK Dons, undisc), Yoann Folly (Southampton, undisc), Madjid Bougherra (Gueugnon, undisc), Kenny Lunt (Crewe), Brad Jones (Middlesborough, loan).

Outs: Drissa Diallo & Jon-Paul McGovern (both MK Dons), Craig Rocastle (Oldham), Ritchie Partridge (Rotherham), Patrick CollIns: (Darlington), David Graham (Bradford, loan), David Lucas (rel).

* SOUTHAMPTON Manager George Burley

Ins: Gregorz Rasiak (Tottenham, £2m), Rudi Skacel (Hearts, £1.6m), Kelvin Davis (Sunderland, £1m), Bradley Wright-Phillips (Manchester City, undisc), Pele (Belenenses, undisc), Jermaine Wright (Leeds), Mario Licka (FC Slovacko), John Viafara (Portsmouth), Marcelo Sarmiento (Club Atletico Racing de Cordoba, loan).

Outs: Danny Higginbotham (Stoke, £225,000), Yoann Folly (Sheffield Wednesday, undisc), Darren Kenton (Leicester), Paul Smith (Nottingham Forest), Leon Best (Bournemouth, loan), Matt Oakley, Marian Pahars, Jim Brennan (all rel).

* SOUTHEND UNITED Manager Steve Tilson

Ins: Michael Ricketts (Leeds), Simon Francis (Sheffield United), Steve Collis (Yeovil), Steven Hammell (Motherwell), Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Rotherham).

Outs: Wayne Gray (Yeovil), Carl Petterfer (Oxford), Mark Bentley & Duncan Jupp (both Gillingham), Andy Edwards, Shaun Goater, Franck Moussa (all rel), Bart Griemink (ret).

* STOKE CITY Manager Tony Pulis

In: Vincent Pericard (Portsmouth).

Outs: Karl Henry (Wolves, £100,000), Ed De Goey (rel).

* SUNDERLAND Caretaker Kevin Richardson

In: Kenny Cunningham (Birmingham).

Outs: Julio Arca (Middlesbrough, £1.75m), Kelvin Davis (Southampton, £1m), Andy Gray (Burnley, £750,000), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe), Gary Breen (Wolves), Martin Woods (Rotherham), Sean Taylor (rel).

* WEST BROMWICH ALBION Manager Bryan Robson

Ins: John Hartson (Celtic, undisc), Michael Nardiello (Liverpool, undisc), Chris Perry (Charlton), Pascal Zuberbühler (Basle).

Outs: Geoff Horsfield (Sheffield United, £1.2m), Andy Johnson (Leicester), Brian Smikle (Kidderminster), Lloyd Dyer (MK Dons).

* WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS Manager Mick McCarthy

Ins: Karl Henry (Stoke, £100,000), Gary Breen (Sunderland), Denes Rosa (Ferencvaros), Jay Bothroyd (Charlton), Guilherme Finkler (Juventude, loan), Jamie Clapham (Birmingham).

Outs: Joleon Lescott (Everton, £5.5m), Seol Ki -Hyeon (Reading, £1.5m), Colin Cameron (Coventry), Kenny Miller (Celtic, undisc), Mark Kennedy (Crystal Palace), Keith Lowe (Brighton, loan), Silas, Darren Anderton, Maurice Ross, Stefan Postma (all rel).

Key Free unless stated; rel = released; ret = retired; undisc = undisclosed.

Whatever happened to...? The top 20 players outside the Premiership

By Glenn Moore

Last December, on the eve of the opening of the January transfer window, The Independent surveyed a panel of managers and pundits to determine the " top 20 players outside the Premiership" under the age of 30. Only seven of those players will figure as the Football League season kicks off today.

In a vindication of The Independent's experts, 12 are now with Premiership clubs, having been promoted or transferred into the top flight, and one - Kenny Miller - is in the Scottish Premier League, at Celtic. Another, Nigel Quashie, did move into the Premiership, with West Bromwich Albion, but was relegated again. In: addition Matty Fryatt, with Walsall at the time of the survey, stepped up a level to the Championship club Leicester. Of the remaining five players, two have been transferred within the Championship, to clubs whose promotion odds are shorter than the those of the ones they have left.

1 PHIL JAGIELKA (Sheffield United)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Sheffield United.

2 Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace)

Now in the Premiership. Transferred to Everton during the summer.

3 Steve Sidwell (Reading)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Reading.

4 Theo Walcott (Southampton)

Now in the Premiership. Transferred to Arsenal in January.

5 Cameron Jerome (Cardiff City)

Now: Still in the Championship. Transferred to Birmingham City during the summer.

6 Kevin Doyle (Reading)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Reading.

7 Dean Ashton (Norwich City)

Now in the Premiership. Transferred to West Ham United in January.

8 Kenny Miller (Wolves)

Now in the Scottish Premier League. Transferred to Celtic during the summer.

9 Joleon Lescott (Wolverhampton W)

Now in the Premiership. Transferred to Everton during the summer.

10 Danny Webber (Sheffield United)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Sheffield United.

11 Lee Trundle(Swansea City)

Now: Still in League One, with Swansea.

12 Ashley Young (Watford)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Watford.

13 Bobby Convey (Reading)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Reading.

14 Nigel Quashie (Southampton)

Now: Back in the Championship. Transferred to then Premiership West Bromwich in January.

15 Mark Kennedy (Wolves)

Now: Still in the Championship. Transferred to Crystal Palace during the summer.

16 Seol Ki Hyeon (Wolves)

Now in the Premiership. Transferred to Reading in the summer.

17 Matty Fryatt (Walsall)

Now in the Championship. Transferred to Leicester in January.

18 Nicky Shorey (Reading)

Now in the Premiership. Promoted with Reading.

19 Boaz Myhill (Hull City)

Now: Still in the Championship, with Hull.

20 Owen Garvan (Ipswich Town)

Now: Still in the Championship, with Ipswich.