Grading each Championship club’s January transfer window

Bournemouth caught the eye with a FIFA Career Mode madness while Stoke and QPR did good business.

Barnsley – D

Birmingham City – B

A surprisingly fun transfer window from Birmingham, whose season has been rather tedious since a strong August. Juninho Bacuna is the only permanent arrival, but at 24, could prove to be a masterstroke of a midfield acquisition, while Onel Hernandez has started his temporary switch in great form and Lyle Taylor got off to the perfect start too. Losing loanees Dion Sanderson and Riley McGree will hurt, but they have been covered well.

Blackburn Rovers – B

They didn’t lose Ben Brereton Diaz, so top marks for that. Joe Rothwell stayed too, albeit he may have burnt one too many bridges in wanting a move away from Ewood Park, but the hallmarks of the promotion-challenging side are there for the rest of the season. That can only be a good thing. Versatile attacker Ryan Hedges and the now injured Dilan Markanday are potentially very good incomings too.

Bournemouth – A

I am sceptical as to whether doing a FIFA Career Mode madness can actually work in real life, but Bournemouth’s deadline day deals are fun and in these scientific gradings, that counts for a lot. Freddie Woodman has been one of the Championship’s outstanding goalkeepers in the last couple of years while Kieffer Moore offers competition and back-up for top scorer Dominic Solanke. Nat Philips should be playing Premier League football; after this window, that could come with the Cherries next season. Three more words: Todd flipping Cantwell.

Blackpool – B

A relatively quiet month will be welcomed beside the seaside, with Josh Bowler staying at the club despite interest from Bournemouth, Fulham and Nottingham Forest. Incoming business