The new EFL season is already well under way, with several sides making strong starts in their bid for promotion - however, the transfer window remains open until September 1; leaving time for top-flight clubs to move for the Championship's top talents.
Current Premier League stars such as Jamie Vardy, Ollie Watkins and Andy Robertson all previously plied their trade in lower tiers of the football pyramid, though such opportunities are inevitably growing rarer given the top league's global appeal.
Already this summer, Lewis O'Brien, Marcus Tavernier and Gavin Bazunu have followed in the footsteps of Vardy, Watkins et al, but who could join them in the English elite before the window slides shut?
Sports Mole takes a look at those yet to secure a switch but still expectantly awaiting their agent's call.
ISMAILA SARR
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Having already defied expectation for several windows, Ismaila Sarr may be poised to finally stride through the exit at Vicarage Road in the coming days, with his departure from Watford still perfectly possible.
Part of Senegal's AFCON-winning squad earlier this year, the 24-year-old played a major part in the Hornets' promotion to the Premier League two years ago - scoring 13 goals and laying on four assists - and has already drawn attention this time around with his spectacular long-range goal against West Brom.
Despite being unable to produce similar displays in the top flight last season, as Watford endured a turgid campaign, Sarr still retains great appeal in the transfer market. However, two years on from being priced out of a move to Liverpool, his pursuers now come from a little lower down the pecking order.
Crystal Palace and Leeds United are apparently the two clubs most interested in acquiring the versatile winger, while West Ham were also recently linked with a move.
As his contract still has a couple of years to run, it may take a substantial offer to prise Sarr away from the club he joined in 2019 from Rennes, but anything can happen amid the frantic final hours of a transfer window.
JOAO PEDRO
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Watford are also braced for further bids from Newcastle United for another of their most prized assets, with Brazilian forward Joao Pedro firmly in the crosshairs of the Magpies' recruitment team.
Following an opening offer of £20m plus up to £3m in future add-ons, Newcastle are expected to return with an improved bid, but their Championship counterparts are reliant on the 20-year-old to carry their attack after the departure of Emmanuel Dennis.
Since signing from Fluminense in 2019, the six-foot forward has scored only 14 goals for the Hornets, but his all-round game has long-drawn admirers from around Europe.
Having started every Championship game so far this season - scoring the winner against Sheffield United on the opening day - he is an integral part of Watford's promotion chances, but has already made an impact on the awaiting Geordie public with a clutch contribution last term.
At the start of the Eddie Howe-led revolution, relegation still loomed large for Newcastle in their first fixture of 2022 - at home to Watford - and with only two minutes left on the clock, Joao Pedro rose highest to head home a last-gasp equaliser. If Howe has anything to do with it, that be the last time he strikes at St James' Park.
BEN BRERETON DIAZ
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A profile elevated by his contribution to the Chile team in recent times has seen Ben Brereton Diaz marked out as one of the Championship's most-wanted men for a while now, but he has so far remained loyal to current league leaders Blackburn Rovers.
With the clock ticking down to the end of the window, Bournemouth and Everton are both stepping up their interest in signing the Stoke-born striker, while ambitious Nice have apparently tabled an £8.5m offer.
Everton are yet to replace Richarlison, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still sidelined and Anthony Gordon possibly on his way to Chelsea, signing a player who can play on the left and through the middle would certainly fit the bill. Meanwhile, Bournemouth require more options in the final third, as they cannot afford to be over-reliant on Dominic Solanke.
As his contract expires next year, Blackburn may decide to accept losing Brereton Diaz now rather than see him depart for free a few months down the line, but it would undoubtedly disrupt the club's planned promotion charge.
The 23-year-old enjoyed his most productive season to date in the 2021-22 campaign, following up an impressive performance at the Copa America by scoring 22 times in the Championship, so his stock has never been so high.
MAX AARONS
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Like Ismaila Sarr, another young player seemingly stuck in a time loop of successive transfer windows without making a mooted big-money move, Max Aarons may now be set to depart Norwich City - if the Canaries receive the right offer.
The England Under-21 international, who was reportedly priced out of a switch to Bayern Munich in the winter of 2021, has been one of many linked with a move to Manchester United recently, but several other sides are also interested in securing his services.
While Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg are apparent suitors from the Bundesliga, it is Everton who have been most heavily linked within the Premier League, though Nathan Patterson started at right-back against Chelsea last weekend, and captain Seamus Coleman provides further depth in that position.
Aarons has already made an impact this season, upon his return to the Championship, as he helped Norwich salvage a point from their first home game with a second-half equaliser against Wigan.
The 22-year-old has two years left to run on his contract at Carrow Road, but with a reduced price tag of around £15m being suggested by some, the time may be ripe to tackle a fresh challenge at a higher level.
ANTOINE SEMENYO
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Yet to play this season, after suffering a shin injury on international duty, Antoine Semenyo's absence from the Bristol City lineup has not helped hide their star striker from the admiring eyes of top-flight clubs.
Set to return to action before the end of the month, the Ghana forward has been on the radar of Crystal Palace for a while, with - perhaps unsurprisingly - both Bournemouth and Everton also pursuing him as an option to end their search for a goalscorer.
Bristol City are said to value Semenyo at £20m, and his worth has surely increased as a player possibly bound for Qatar 2022 - having made his Black Stars debut in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Madagascar in June.
With Bournemouth having had a bid in the region of half that size rejected earlier this summer, securing the 22-year-old's signature could cost more than his suitors were bargaining on, but with Palace keen to strengthen their front line after Christian Benteke's departure, they are set to test the Robins' resolve.
Semenyo, who almost joined Chelsea in 2019, is out of contract next summer; his club have the option to extend that deal by a year. Therefore, signing a striker who scored eight goals and laid on 12 assists in the Championship last season could cost a pretty penny.
Jonathan O'Shea
