Burnley secure deal for 16-goal striker as Sheffield United approach former Newcastle hero

With less than a month to go until the start of the new Championship season, clubs are working hard to get as much business done as possible so that their new recruits can get a full pre-season under their backs.

Promotion favourites Leeds United have so far added Tottenham defender Joe Rodon, former academy graduate Alex Cairns and Bournemouth’s Joe Rothwell to their ranks whilst also making significant profit over the sales of Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca, Charlie Cresswell and Diego Llorente.

Daniel Farke’s side have alleviated most of their FFP concerns after a mass exodus of players and are now in a position to once again go out and spend before their curtain raiser against newly promoted Portsmouth.

Leeds fans can expect to see plenty of twist and turns in the remaining weeks of the window, but what is the latest from their Championship rivals? Here’s all you need to know.

Burnley land 16-goal forward after breakout season

Championship promotion-hopefuls Burnley have completed the signing of Andreas Hountondji from French side Caen for a reported fee of £3.4m, according to the Burnley Express.

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the Clarets and describes the move as perfect for him after productive talks with the club’s new manager Scott Parker. The Benin international struggled for first team opportunities at Caen but enjoyed an excellent breakout season whilst on loan at Rodez by scoring 14 goals in 36 Ligue 2 matches.

“I chose to come here because of big interest shown from the club,” Hountondji told the club website. It’s a club that gives opportunities to young players, so this is one of the big reasons I chose to be here, and I love English football. I have spoken with the boss (Scott Parker) and it was quite a good discussion. We spoke about values, principles, and the way we play, it was perfect for me.”

Hountondji is the fourth player to arrive at Turf Moor this summer after the signings of Brazilian left back Lucas Pires, Dutch full back Shurandy Sambo while Johann Berg Gudmundsson also re-signed on a one year deal in a dramatic U-turn which came just weeks after he had initially decided to leave the club on a free transfer.

Scott Parker has twice tasted promotion from this division and is now hoping to repeat the trick after more than a year out of management.

Sheffield United push to sign former Newcastle hero

Sheffield United have declared an interest in former Newcastle United star Matt Ritchie.

The Sheffield Star understands that the Blades have made contact with Ritchie’s representatives earlier this month, but understand that talks are progressing slowly as the Scottish international assesses his options amid interest from a number of other Championship sides.

Ritchie is currently out of contract after a successful eight-year stint at Newcastle which saw him establish himself as a firm fan favourite. Overall, the 34-year-old made 215 appearances and registered 25 goals and 28 assists during his time in the North East.

The veteran, who can play either as a right winger or right back, helped Newcastle lift the Championship title in 2016/17 and is renowned for his excellent leadership and set piece ability. He has won a total of four promotions in his career, helping Bournemouth climb from League One to the Premier League and also winning the League Two title early in his career with Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon Town.