Stoke, Derby and Wrexham are among the clubs interested in former Hull City defender John Egan, 32. (Pete O'Rourke, external)
Former Potters defender Lyndon Gooch, 29, is close to completing a free transfer to Huddersfield. (Pete O'Rourke, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.
Stoke midfielder, Sol Sidibe, 18, an England youth international, is attracting the interest of Ligue 1 side Lille. (Stoke Sentinel, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.
Image source, Getty ImagesSam Stockley has been coaching with Lexington Sporting Club in the USA
Stoke City have appointed Sam Stockley as their new academy manager.
The ex-Port Vale, Colchester and Barnet full-back has been working in the United States as sporting director at Lexington Sporting Club for the past four years.
Stockley made more than 500 appearances during his playing career in England that also featured spells at Wycombe, Blackpool, Oxford and Southampton.
The 47-year-old has been working in coaching in the USA for 10 years and replaces Gareth Owen who has moved into the position of academy technical director at Stoke.
Stoke City have entered advanced talks to sign Plymouth Argyle and Ukraine defender Maksym Talovierov, 25. (Football Insider), external
The Pilgrims are in advanced discussions of their own with Norwich City goalkeeper Archie Mair, 24, following the conclusion of his contract at Carrow Road. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.
The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you've got to look forward to - or dread - from your team this upcoming season.
Here are some key dates to put in your diary:
9 August 2025 - v Derby County (H)
16 August 2025 - v Sheffield Wednesday (A)
8 November 2025 - Coventry City (H)
26 December 2025 - v Preston North End (H)
1 January 2026 - v Hull City (A)
2 May 2026 - v Bristol City (A)
See Stoke City's full fixture list here.
Your club will soon discover their schedule for the upcoming EFL season. As soon as Thursday, in fact.
Want to know who your side will face on opening day? The EFL fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that's not all.
The day will be rounded off by the first round of Carabao Cup being drawn at 16:30 BST.
So check back on 26 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.
Thomas: 'I want to play in the Premier League'
New Stoke City signing Sorba Thomas says he has joined the Potters with a view of helping them return to the Premier League.
The Wales international joined the side as their first summer signing on 7 June after a loan spell overseas with Ligue 1 side Nantes.
"They are in a team that's in a league that I believe they shouldn't be in with the size of the club," Sorba told BBC Radio Stoke.
"For me, I'm just here to help them reach their goals of getting back to the Premier League.
"It's a young team, so pre-season is going to be massive for us. Not much about the result but about chemistry and certain positions on the pitch. Everyone knowing my strengths and how I play, and vice versa.
"I want to know every single player's strengths and once we know each other's strengths, no one's weakness will be exploited."
Stoke have not been back in the top flight since their relegation to the Championship in 2018.
Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.
Stoke could sell striker Nathan Lowe for a reported £2.5m, with Huddersfield said to be interested in the 19-year-old who shone on loan at Walsall last season. (Alan Nixon, external)
Want more EFL transfer rumours? Check out Monday's full gossip column
Stoke City and QPR are two of several Championship clubs interested in signing midfielder Habib Keita, 23, from French Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot. (L'Equipe - in French), external
Want more EFL transfer rumours? Check out Thursday's full gossip column
Ben Ashton
BBC Sport England
Image source, Getty ImagesWatford are getting relegated, Plymouth are staying up, Millwall are in the play-offs and Portsmouth are also battling for a top-six spot.
Does something sound a bit off? Well, that's what would have happened if the Championship season started on 1 January.
Here's a look at the 2025 calendar year table, showing who the form sides were in the second half of the season and who went into freefall.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the actual final top six and the 2025 version is that Millwall would be in the play-offs and Premier League-bound Sunderland would not.
Burnley and Leeds still comfortably occupy the automatic promotion spots, albeit the Clarets would be unbeaten at the top of the pile with the Whites in second.
Coventry improved significantly after Frank Lampard replaced Mark Robins and are third over the course of the year.
The Sky Blues would instead be pitted against Bristol City in the play-off semi-final as opposed to Sunderland. Who knows what difference that would have made to their promotion bid...
Image source, Rex FeaturesPortsmouth - who spent much of the season battling relegation and only secured their Championship safety with two games to spare - are seventh and just one point outside a play-off spot.
Pompey sit above Sunderland, who lost their final five games of the season and are down in eighth.
The data perhaps shows just how long Regis Le Bris' side effectively had a play-off spot sewn up before their victory at Wembley against Sheffield United to claim promotion.
Relegation battlers Oxford find themselves seven places higher than where they actually finished in the 2024-25 campaign (17th), reflecting the good work done by Gary Rowett after he took over as boss from Des Buckingham.
Image source, Rex FeaturesPlymouth would have survived comfortably had the season begun in January 2025, showing a significant uptick after Miron Muslic replaced Wayne Rooney at the helm.
Middlesbrough tailed off significantly in the second half of the season, underpinning why they missed out on the play-offs. It was a drop off that ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job as head coach.
Norwich City conceded more goals (32) than any other side in 2025, which counteracted the hard work they'd done at the other end, having been the fourth top scorers (31) since the turn of the year.
Image source, Rex FeaturesWatford had a disappointing 2025, winning just five of their 23 games and losing 13 to finish bottom of the calendar year table.
The Hornets had the joint-worst goal difference along with Cardiff (-10) and head coach Tom Cleverley was sacked following the end of the season.
Preston and Cardiff won the fewest games of any side in 2025 (4), which cost the Bluebirds their Championship status and almost led to the Lilywhites dropping into League One as they avoided relegation by one point.
Paul Heckingbottom's side would be down if only games this year were counted.
Luton and Derby scored the fewest goals in 2025 (19) and attacking output was an issue that plagued both sides throughout the entire campaign.
It had major consequences for the Hatters with back-to-back relegations, while the Rams survived by a point - and only on goal difference in the yearly table.
Data collated from Transfermarkt
Image source, Getty ImagesSorba Thomas (right) has made 18 senior appearances for Wales
Sorba Thomas capped a busy few days by scoring his first senior goal for Wales in their 4-3 World Cup qualifying defeat by Belgium in Brussels on Monday.
The winger completed a move from Huddersfield Town to Stoke City on Saturday, having also played for Wales in a 4-0 qualifying victory over Liechtenstein on Friday.
The 26-year-old scored Wales' second goal of the evening against Belgium as they came from 3-0 down to level at 3-3 before Kevin de Bruyne scored a late winner for the home side.
Thomas spent last season on loan at French Ligue 1 side Nantes, scoring one goal in 25 appearances.
Andy Quy: 'Really dangerous from set-plays'
Ex-Stoke City and Huddersfield Town goalkeeping coach Andy Quy says new Potters signing Sorba Thomas will be a "real weapon" in the side's set plays next season.
Thomas signed a three-year contract with Stoke on Saturday.
"I was fortunate enough to work with Sorba at Huddersfield Town. An exciting talent, I have to say," Quy told BBC Radio Stoke.
"Excellent on the ball going forwards, wants to take people on, get crosses in the box, he's got really good delivery from set plays.
"He's one of those players who puts the ball on the money, puts the ball in the right space, asks questions of goalkeepers and certainly of defenders."
Listen to Quy's full thoughts and more on BBC Sounds.
Image source, Getty ImagesBirmingham City striker Jay Stansfield and Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney have been selected
A number of EFL players have been selected in England's Under-21 squad for the European Championships in Slovakia this month.
Birmingham City's Jay Stansfield, who scored 19 goals in 37 League One games to help the Blues win the title and promotion to the second tier, is included.
Stansfield played three times during qualifying but this will be his first appearance at a tournament.
Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, who netted five league goals and made three assists, is also named in Lee Carsley's 23-man squad, along with Samuel Iling-Junior, who spent time on loan at Boro and Bologna from Aston Villa during the 2024-25 season.
Two players are included from relegated Premier League clubs - Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson and Southampton defender Ronnie Edwards - with the latter spending the second half of the campaign on loan at QPR.
Young Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin, who made 40 appearances on loan at Walsall in League Two and kept 14 clean sheets, has been picked.
Fellow goalkeepers Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who helped Doncaster Rovers win promotion to League One while on loan from Chelsea, and James Beadle, who spent the season at Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Brighton, will also be on the plane.
The U21 Euros will take place across eight host cities in Slovakia from 11-28 June with the Three Lions looking to retain the title they won in 2023.
England are in a group with Czech Republic, Slovenia and Germany and the top two will progress to the quarter-final.
