Celtic should be set for a busy summer as far as recruitment is concerned, with Martin O'Neill likely to want to add to his squad when he is confirmed as the new permanent boss.
The Bhoys were far from dominant in the season just gone, and O'Neill will have his own ideas on how to solve that. Money will be spent, but if the Bhoys want to balance the budget, there may be a few players they can snatch for free to add depth to their squad. Here we look at the best Championship free agents available this summer. We have a Premier League edition coming up in the morning for more likely starters.
Josh Maja
The West Brom striker appears to be headed for the exit doors despite the West Midlands club making contract advances. Maja is the best out of contract Championship star on the market this summer, still only 27 years of age and capable of scoring goals at a good level.
Maja made his name at Sunderland originally before going on to impress with Bourdeaux in Ligue 1, prior to their demise. His scoring form hasn't been quite so consistent at West Brom, but the Baggies have struggled a little in the last year. He has had some injury issues, too.
Still, he would be a steal for free and a player who should score goals in the Premiership.
Dael Fry
Another of the strong Championship free agent options could be centre-back Dael Fry, who is among the best centre-backs in the league. The 28-year-old is still said to be in talks over a potential new deal, but there is room to turn his head while those talks are ongoing.
Fry is an experienced head and a good leader. He played a central part in Boro coming close to automatic promotion during the season just gone, and he would certainly be a valuable addition on a free deal. At 28, he is also in his athletic prime, and he is the type of hard-working player O'Neill will likely build his squad around.
Ross Stewart
There could be an opportunity to bring Ross Stewart back to Scotland this summer, with no new contract agreed between him and Southampton so far. Stewart fired home a respectable 11 Championship goals in the season just gone, and he remains a reliable forward with plenty of energy.
He is 29 years of age and still with plenty in the tank, and he might just thrive back in his home nation. Stewart would not be Celtic's starting striker by any means, but he could be a useful second or third option on a free transfer. He is another who O'Neill might be able to get the best out of.
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