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There are often tweaks to the football laws at the start of a new season but there have been two pretty big changes in the Championship for 2026/27. The combination of new financial rules – spending a proportion of revenue, rather than limiting losses over a rolling three-year period – plus the expansion of the play-off places down to eighth has allowed or encouraged some serious transfer spending this summer. Close to home, Stoke City have made Ethan Galbraith their biggest signing in a few years while – albeit in an age of undisclosed fees – other clubs have written cheques totalling more than £10 million with a fortnight still left in the window. Birmingham spent £6.5m on midfielder Jhon Solis, Bristol City spent £4m on former Port Vale striker Lorent Tolaj, Derby County spent nearly £8m on playmaker Bobby Clark, Middlesbrough have dished out the best part of £30m on Will Lankshear, Radek Vitek, Max Arfeten, Kyle Joseph and Jerem Sarmiento. Norwich spent £8m on Andre Brooks, Preston £4.5 on Alfie Devine, Southampton £9m on Lewis Dobbin and £7m on Daniel Peretz. FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest Stoke City news, analysis and more via the Sentinel Swansea have a bill of £14m for Joseph Opoku, Elijah Just and Leo Walta while handing a lucrative contract to free agent Ross Stewart. Watford have brought in keeper Federico Ravaglia for £6m and Wolves have splashed nearly £8m on winger Rafiki Said and Wrexham £8m on keeper Anthony Patterson. There will be plenty more to come as owners and managers try to muscle their way into the Premier League and the rewards that brings both in terms of finance and glory. Mark Robins said: “I think you’ve seen how it’s changed already. Teams are spending far more, their squads will be deeper and people will be having a real go. The quality of the players who teams are signing is very good, across the board. “Some of the teams who’ve come down have enhanced their squads, which were already Premier League squads, so you’ve got that to contend with. “I think the quality of the division goes up and you will see a really, really tough division. That only bodes well for the Championship as a whole because the level of football should be better again.” It historically takes about 70 points to crack the top eight rather than 77 for the top six and, with the ability to use five subs per game, managers seem keen to make sure they have the depth to cope with all the winter can throw at them. Stoke will do some squad management up until deadline day, with players coming and going, and all players will be expected to be fighting to get in the starting XI – even if more than half of senior squads will be resigned to the stands each match day. There are plenty of match days in the Championship, however. Robins said: “It is always a big thing but, if you’re not, you’re there for the team, you’re there with the supporters and you’re there to make a difference when called upon. “We’ve spoken about the number of games we have coming up and they will all play their part. They need to concentrate on being ready to be selected. That’s all they can do. It is amazing – if they do that, they get picked. If they don’t do that and it goes the other way, they don’t get picked. It’s as simple as that. You can’t come off it. “Everybody understands this. You’ve got to be at your best every single day and give your best. Then when you’re called upon – and it’s inevitable you will be – you’re ready and you have a chance to stay in the team. Everybody has to stay fit.” How should Stoke line up vs Swansea? Click HERE to join the debate