Massive Moves in the Second Tier: The Championship's Most Iconic Signings
Massive Moves in the Second Tier: The Championship's Most Iconic Signings
If you were to tell somebody ten years ago that Christian Eriksen would be signing for Wrexham A.F.C., you would have laughed and said to them that was a good joke.
At the time, Eriksen was two years into his Spurs contract, had just won his third consecutive Danish footballer of the year award, and was viewed as one of the best midfielders in Europe.
Wrexham, by contrast, were stuck in the National League, going on seven years outside the EFL. Their last brush with the upper tiers of English football came in 1981–82, when they were relegated from the old Second Division — now known, fittingly, as the Championship. At the time, the idea of Eriksen ever pulling on a Wrexham shirt belonged to a different universe.
Not exactly a match made in heaven.
But as we all know, football is unpredictable.
Since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over the club in 2020, Wrexham have gone from non-league obscurity to international cult status.
A global fanbase, three consecutive promotions, and a financial structure that now puts them among the Championship’s better-resourced sides—it’s been a rise as rapid as it is unlikely.
So, with Christian Eriksen reportedly weighing up a move to North Wales, Football Park revisits the top 10 most iconic signings in Championship history.
BREAKING: Wrexham have made an approach to sign Christian Eriksen 🚨 pic.twitter.com/bdkCZtnWQS
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) July 25, 2025
10 - Robbie Fowler
Liverpool to Cardiff City
Free transfer
2007/08
A Premier League legend with over 150 top-flight goals for Liverpool, Leeds, and Manchester City, Robbie Fowler’s single season at Cardiff City marked his first foray outside the Premier League. Fowler’s spell at Cardiff was hampered by persistent fitness issues, limiting him to just 16 appearances for the Bluebirds. In November of 2007, he travelled to Frankfurt to see a specialist sports doctor who gave him 28 injections into his hip to try and help him regain fitness.
The Liverpool legend’s time at Cardiff was largely unremarkable and forgettable, but for Bluebirds fans, it offered fleeting glimpses of the player who once terrorised some of the Premier League’s best defences.
#OTD in 2007:
— Liverpool On This Day (@OnThisDayReds) July 22, 2025
Robbie Fowler’s second stint at Liverpool comes to an end, as he joins Cardiff City. Fowler played 369 times and scored 183 goals across his two spells pic.twitter.com/hLB6xxAdzu
9 - Charlie Austin
Burnley to Queens Park Rangers
£4 million
2013-2016
Known for his time at Southampton in the Premier League, Charlie Austin’s transfer from Burnley to Queens Park Rangers (QPR) was a statement signing.
Having just come rock bottom of the Premier League table after winning just four games, Austin was bought in to fire QPR back to the top flight of English football.
And he did just that. Scoring 19 goals across 31 games, QPR finished 4th and were promoted via the playoffs.
Unfortunately, their return to the Premier League was short-lived, as they were relegated once more after finishing 20th in the table.
But Austin stood out, netting 18 Premier League goals—accounting for 42% of QPR’s total tally—and finishing fourth in the league’s overall top scorers.
He would play six more months for the London club before eventually signing for Southampton.
Charlie Austin, our #Barclaysmen 💙@chazaustin10 | @QPR pic.twitter.com/nYbIWLvu7H
— The QPR Cult (@TheQPRCult) September 10, 2024
8 - Jonathan Woodgate
Stoke to Middlesbrough
Free transfer
2012-2016
A player who is infamously remembered for his debut at Real Madrid, Woodgate was bought in by Middlesbrough to try and return them to the Premier League. He spent four seasons at the club, eventually retiring there in 2016, and was still on the books when Boro secured promotion back to the top flight. In that promotion-winning season, Woodgate featured just once — in the League Cup — but his experience proved invaluable behind the scenes, helping younger players navigate the demands of a relentless Championship campaign.
Jonathan Woodgate🏴
— Forgotten Legs (@Forgottenlegs) May 23, 2025
He is currently assistant manager at Middlesbrough, working under Michael Carrick since 2022. After retiring in 2016, he coached at Boro, briefly managed them in 2019–20, and had a short stint at Bournemouth in 2021. pic.twitter.com/SnRmR21vUM
7 - Sol Bamba
Leeds United to Cardiff City
Free transfer
2016-2021
A defensive rock who had spent time at PSG, Hibernian and Leicester City, Sol Bamba was part of a Cardiff City side that spent a season in the Premier League.
Bamba quickly became a fan favourite and a cornerstone of Neil Warnock’s defence, helping to instil the resilience and organisation that defined their promotion campaign. His leadership, physicality, and consistency were instrumental in Cardiff regaining promotion to the Premier League.
The Bluebirds, however, lasted just one season in the Premier League, finishing 18th in 2018/19—two points shy of safety, with Brighton narrowly surviving in 17th.
🔵⚪️ To give Sol the farewell he deserves. We encourage fans to wear blue for Bamba on Saturday.
— Cardiff City Fan Advisory Board (@cardiffcityfab) September 18, 2024
Filling the stadium with colour as we celebrate Sol and say goodbye to a true legend who will live long in the memory of Cardiff City Fans #blueforbamba 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/ahsxGNOFX1
6 - Jay-Jay Okocha
Qatar SC to Hull
Free transfer
2007/08
So good they named him twice, Jay-Jay Okocha was a silky midfielder who is best remembered for his time at PSG and Bolton Wanderers.
His move to Hull, he claimed, was divinely inspired, telling reporters that “God had told him to do so.”
His time at Hull would not be of the greatest success; he scored 0 goals in 18 games as they gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Jay-Jay Okocha (free) - Qatar SC to Hull City (2007) pic.twitter.com/Ea3f9UCYSX
— Transfersthathappened (@actualtransfers) October 15, 2023
5 - Ivan Toney
Peterborough United to Brentford
£4.8 million
2020-2024
One of the greatest Championship signings of all time, Ivan Toney broke the division’s single-season scoring record in his debut campaign with Brentford—netting 31 goals and surpassing Glenn Murray’s previous mark of 30.
His time at Brentford was marred by his betting offences, which led him to be banned from playing for eight months.
But despite his conviction, Toney was regarded by many as one of the best strikers in the Premier League. In his three seasons playing at the top level, he scored 36 goals in 83 games.
In August of 2024, he was sold for a reported £40 million to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
BREAKING: Al Ahli have agreed a £40m deal with Brentford to sign Ivan Toney 🚨 pic.twitter.com/G8jLpZgMEm
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 30, 2024
4 - Ruben Neves
Porto to Wolverhampton Wanderers
£15.8 million
2017-2023
The Championship record signing until 2024, Ruben Neves, is one of the most successful Championship signings of all time.
During his six seasons at Wolves, he played 253 times and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the club.
In the Premier League, Neves was a main fixture in a side that has become a mainstay in the top division of English football.
He even played in Europe for Wolves, as they qualified for the Europa League after finishing 7th in the 2018/19 season.
In 2023, he was sold for £47 million to Al Hilal.
🗓️On This Day in 2017...
— Talk of The 72 (@TALKOFTHE72) July 8, 2025
Wolves signed Ruben Neves🤩
Is he one of the greatest players the Championship has ever seen?🤔#efl #wwfc #wolves pic.twitter.com/GHGPT5WtRD
3 - Peter Whittingham
Aston Villa to Cardiff City
£350,000
2006-2017
To many, Peter Whittingham is remembered as one of the greatest Championship players of all time. He played over 400 games for the Bluebirds, scoring just under 100 goals in the process.
At his time at Cardiff, Whittingham would play just one season in the Premier League. Under the leadership of managers Malky Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the Bluebirds would have a torrid season, finishing 20th on just 30 points.
After his untimely death in 2020, Cardiff retired the number seven shirt in honour of Whittingham.
Here's to you, Peter Whittingham. 💙
— Cardiff City Community Partnership (@CardiffCityCP) September 8, 2023
Today, the Cardiff City Community Partnership and the Cardiff family remembers City legend, Peter Whittingham, on what would have been his 39th birthday.
Forever in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/mh0RIRt844
2 - Riyad Mahrez
Le Harve to Leicester City
£450,000
2013-2018
Riyad Mahrez’s transfer to Leicester City is a reminder that there is always a diamond in the rough.
The Algerian winger was practically unheard of before he came to Leicester, but is now remembered as a Premier League great with one of the best first touches in football.
In the 2015/16 season, Mahrez and Leicester shocked the world as they won the Premier League—defying 5,000-1 odds in one of the most remarkable underdog stories in football history.
In 2018, he was signed by Manchester City for £60 million, breaking the record for the most expensive African footballer of all time.
Riyad Mahrez' time at Leicester City was truly special 🤩 @Mahrez22pic.twitter.com/f97MQgzg5u
— ComeOnLeicester (@Come0nLeicester) February 21, 2024
1 - Jamie Vardy
Fleetwood Town to Leicester City
£1 million
2012-2025
What does £1 million get you these days? A luxury home, a garage full of high-end cars, a lifetime supply of designer clothes—or, in Leicester City's case, a forward who scored over 200 goals in 500 games and went on to win both the Premier League and the FA Cup.
There could only be one man who topped this list. Jamie Vardy. Signed in 2012, not one Leicester fan could have ever dreamed of what Vardy would do for their club.
He holds the record for the most consecutive Premier League games scored in, won the Premier League Player of the Year in 2015/16, and claimed the Golden Boot in 2018/19.
Jamie Vardy is a player immortalised—his legend set to echo through football history for generations to come.
What a wonderful career Jamie Vardy has had at Leicester.
— The Football Tavern (@TavernFootball) April 24, 2025
Trophies, goalscoring records are all well and good, but channelling the Inbetweeners in the tunnel.....
Now that's what I call a legend. pic.twitter.com/c33EJz5gBk
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