Burnley preparing £500k offer for Swansea City defender

Championship clubs are making moves in the transfer market as the 24 teams who will make up English Football’s second tier in 2023/24 continue to build their squads.

Burnley are said to be preparing a £500,000 offer for a Swansea City defender as Vincent Kompany looks to make his first signing as Clarets’ boss while Newcastle United could be set to swoop for an England international currently at Turf Moor.

Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield Town are all ‘keeping tabs’ on the situation of a Bournemouth winger who could soon be allowed to leave and Scottish Champions Celtic look to have beaten Preston North End to the signing of a free agent goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, a former QPR and Reading striker is nearing a move to the Australian A-League while Stoke City are closing in on a former Wigan Athletic defender.

Millwall are apparently interested in a loan move for a Newcastle United attacker while Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United are joined by Derby County in monitoring a midfielder released by Hull City.

Finally, Bristol City are close to a surprise signing by landing a promising young keeper previously playing in France’s Ligue 1.

Here are the Championship transfer news stories making the headlines on Friday morning:

1. Stoke close to Laurent deal

Stoke City are closing in on the free signing of former QPR and Wigan Athletic midfielder Josh Laurent with his Reading deal set to expire (Daily Telegraph)