Ex-Man Utd, Liverpool players and Norwich goal machine feature in out-of-contract Championship XI

Lewis Oldham 06 Jun 2023 10:34 PM

Forgettable ex-Man Utd and Liverpool players have been released by Championship sides and goal machine Teemu Pukki is also searching for a new club.

As an avid player of Football Manager who often starts with a team who gives you bugger all to spend, I’ve often been made to rely on the free agent market.

Sometimes, there’s nothing better than a freebie and this XI of soon-to-be out of contract players from the Championship includes some potential gems who could be available for nothing in a matter of weeks.

GK: Wes Foderingham (Sheffield United)
The former Rangers shot-stopper joined the Blades in 2020 and he has surpassed expectations at Bramall Lane after dropping down the pecking order at Ibrox.

F365’s resident Rangers (and Arsenal) supporter – the one and only Jason Soutar – has reliably informed me that Foderingham was pretty sh*t for the Scottish giants, but he has rebuilt his reputation in south Yorkshire.

The 32-year-old played 40 times for the promotion-winners in 2022/23 and they are now in talks with the veteran over fresh terms. At the time of writing, a new deal is yet to be finalised but it’s hard to see him leaving the Blades now.

RB: Sam Byram (Norwich City)
Ex-Leeds United academy product Jack Clarke (who is being targeted by Brentford and Crystal Palace) has enjoyed a dream season for Sunderland and after a couple of early-career hiccups, he has got himself back on track at the Stadium of Light. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Byram.

Now 29, the former Leeds youngster has overcome several serious injuries to avoid retirement in his 20s but he has been left in the shadow of Max Aarons throughout his time at Norwich City.

Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber has taken the bold decision to inform Aarons – who has previously been linked with Bayern Munich and Man Utd – that this summer is the right time for him to move on. This could have afforded Byram a fresh start at Carrow Road, but the club have confirmed that he will be off when his contract expires.

CB: Tomas Kalas (Bristol City)
A former victim of Chelsea’s hoarding system, Kalas joined the Championship outfit for a club-record fee of £8m in 2019. Prior to this season, the 30-year-old would have been considered a phenomenal signing for the Robins.

But a groin injury has left the defender on the periphery for much of the 2022/23 campaign as he only made two starts for Bristol City in the league.

The Czech Republic international’s potential farewell to Bristol’s supporters came via his late cameo appearance in their 2-0 win over QPR on the final day and his injury issues will ultimately play a significant impact on talks with the second-tier outfit.

CB: Steven Caulker (Wigan Athletic)
The former Liverpool loanee ended his five-year spell in Turkey when he returned to England in January to join relegation strugglers Wigan Athletic.

The 31-year-old was only used sparingly during the run-in as the Latics suffered relegation from the Championship.

Wigan continue to be marred by problems off the pitch as their players have not been paid on time on multiple occasions over the past year. While his impact on the pitch was limited, credit should go to Caulker for shining a light on the “scandalous” actions of the club’s owners.

LB: Ryan Manning (Swansea City)
The Republic of Ireland international has come into his own since being utilised at wing-back instead of central midfield and he became a vital cog in Russell Martin’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.

Wing-backs are fast becoming the most important position in modern-day football and with Manning’s departure already finalised, there will be no shortage of clubs interested.

With Martin heading to Southampton, Sky Sports reporting striker Joel Piroe is being targeted by Premier League clubs and star defender Manning potentially off to one of Swansea’s league rivals, the Welsh outfit are up sh*t creek heading into next season.

RM: Chieo Ogbene (Rotherham United)
The speedy Republic of Ireland winger was vital for the Millers as they successfully retained their Championship status in 2022/23.

His eight goals and four assists in the league were priceless and whether he operated on the right flank or as a makeshift striker, he was constantly a threat.

It would be a huge statement of intent if Rotherham United were able to keep Ogbene beyond this summer after how important he was for Matt Taylor’s team this season. As a biased Millers fan, I would love this but the pessimist in me feels that a significant pay rise at a Championship rival or club in Europe is probably on the horizon for the 26-year-old.

CM: Nick Powell (Stoke City)
To steal Micah Richards’ catchphrase, Powell burst onto the scene with Crewe Alexandra and a potential total fee of £6m was splashed by Manchester United to sign him when he was just 18.

His career has gone downhill since the moment he joined the Red Devils, which is a shame given the immense natural ability at his disposal.

Powell has offered a sprinkle of stardust for Wigan and Stoke in recent years but he is among seven players let go by the Potters ahead of what is likely to be a defining summer transfer window as Alex Neil attempts to drag them out of the Championship bottom half.

CM: Henri Lansbury (Luton Town)
From one former Big Six player to another, here we have ex-Arsenal man Lansbury. The former Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest midfielder has caught the headlines for scoring the odd thunderbastard but his spell at Luton has ended on a sour note on a personal level.

The Hatters enjoyed a remarkable rise under Rob Edwards that resulted in the overachievers gaining promotion to the Premier League via the play-off final.

But Lansbury spent much of the campaign on the sidelines due to a serious groin injury and while he is not heading to the Premier League with Luton, he should still be a wise pick for a Championship team this summer.

LM: Mason Bennett (Millwall)
The 26-year-old was a favourite of Frank Lampard at Derby County in 2018/19. While the Chelsea legend’s career as a coach has gone down the drain, Bennett is searching for a new club after being released by Millwall.

The Lions flirted with the play-off places in 2022/23 and this was largely done without Bennett, whose ankle issue has prevented him from earning a new contract at The Den. If he can prove his fitness, he would be a decent signing for a club lower down the table in the second tier.

ST: Lucas Joao (Reading)
The Royals wasted a lot of money in trying to get promoted back to the Premier League and given that they have been relegated to League One, it’s fair to say that this investment has been poorly distributed.

£5m of their funds were used to sign Joao from Sheffield Wednesday in 2019. His 45 goals in 119 appearances is a pretty decent return but with Reading dropping down to the third tier, they have wisely decided to get the striker off their wage bill.

ST: Teemu Pukki (Norwich City)
It’s the end of an era. After 65 goals and 21 assists in 125 Championship appearances, Pukki will be leaving the Canaries at the end of this season.

The Finland international never quite cut it in the Premier League for the yo-yo merchants, but he found a home in the second tier and he will be remembered as one of the best strikers the Championship has ever seen.

With Pukki moving on, the Championship is lacking a cheat code-calibre striker after Dwight Gayle proved to be a bloody big flop for Stoke City.

F365 Features Nick Powell

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