The EFL Championship is a toughly contested division and still possesses plenty of quality just beneath the Premier League. Whether you are in the top-flight or in the Football League on your FIFA 19 Career Mode, you will want to know which Championship stars you can pick up for free at the end of season by claiming them on a contract expiry signing. These are agreements made in the final six months of a player’s contract to join a new club when their deal expires at the end of the season.
To find out how to make a contract expiry signing click here.
For a full list of ALL the best EFL Championship contract expiry signings, visit the table near the end of this page.
Wilfried Bony (OVR 76 – POT 76)
Age: 29
Positions: ST
Club: Swansea City
Country: Ivory Coast
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 91 strength, 83 shot power, 83 jumping
Wage: £29,000 a week
It’s a surprise to see Wilfried Bony in the EFL Championship, given he signed for Manchester City for £25 million in 2015. He scored 11 goals in 46 games for the Citizens, but he has notched just six times since leaving the club in 2016. An ACL injury has kept him side-lined since February 2018, but he's expected to return soon for Swansea as they look to push towards the play-offs.
on FIFA 19 the 29-year-old Bony has wages of £29,000 a week, which will get you his stats of 91 strength, 83 shot power and 83 jumping. Those take him to an overall of 76 which you can snap up at the end of the season.
Leroy Fer (OVR 75 – POT 75)
Age: 28
Positions: CM
Club: Swansea City
Country: Holland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 88 stamina, 85 shot power, 83 jumping
Wage: £25,000 a week
Another Swansea player, Leroy Fer has the disappointing record of being relegated from the Premier League three times. The former Dutch international suffered back-to-back relegations with Norwich and QPR in 2015 and 2016, before going down with the Swans last summer after two-and-a-half seasons at the club. A player with quality, Fer is a useful midfielder who can add depth in the middle of the park.
Stats of 88 stamina, 85 shot power and 83 jumping take Fer to a 75 overall. With wages of £25,000, the 25-year-old is worth considering.
Chris Brunt (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 33
Positions: CM, LM, LB, RM
Club: West Bromwich Albion
Country: Northern Ireland
Work rate: Medium, Medium
Best stats: 86 crossing, 86 shot power, 86 curve
Wage: £26,000 a week
Having been at West Brom since 2007, it would be strange to see Chris Brunt play away from the Hawthorns. The 33-year-old has one of the most wicked left foots in football, with great technical ability from set pieces. Versatility is also there from the former Northern Ireland international, being able to play across the midfield as well as at left back.
Brunt’s stats of 86 crossing, 86 shot power and 86 curve make him an asset to any club, and help take him to a 74 overall rating. You can sign the midfielder for wages of £26,000 a week.
Timm Klose (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 30
Positions: CB
Club: Norwich
Country: Switzerland
Work rate: Medium/High
Best stats: 84 strength, 80 heading accuracy, 74 standing tackle
Wage: £20,000 a week
Still playing international football, Timm Klose is Norwich’s best player on FIFA 19. The centre back has been at the club since January 2016, but was restricted to just nine games as the Canaries failed to avoid the drop from the Premier League. Since making his international debut in 2011, Klose has earned 16 caps for the Swiss national team.
30-year-old centre back Klose has wages of £20,000 a week on Career Mode, a decent cost for his 74 overall. Stats of 84 strength, 80 heading accuracy and 74 standing tackle make him a reliable man at the back.
Ibrahim Afellay (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 32
Positions: CAM, CM, LM, RM
Club: Stoke City
Country: Holland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 78 curve, 78 ball control, 77 balance
Wage: £32,000 a week
It’s been a steady decline for Ibrahim Afellay since he won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2011. The 32-year-old looked a fantastic free signing by Stoke in 2015, and made a great start to his Premier League, but a lack of form and fitness took the versatile midfielder out of the starting lineup.
The Dutch international has stayed with the Potters after relegation, but knee surgery in the spring means he is yet to appear in the Championship this season. 78 curve, 78 ball control and 77 balance take Afellay to a 74 overall. You can pick him up for wages of £32,000 a week.
Keiren Westwood (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 33
Positions: GK
Club: Sheffield Wednesday
Country: Republic of Ireland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 78 strength, 76 GK diving, 76 GK reflexes
Wage: £16,000 a week
Keiren Westwood never got a fair crack at the Premier League, making just 19 appearances in the top flight for Sunderland between 2011 and 2014. His performances for Sheffield Wednesday ever since make him worthy of the top flight, and in 2015 he was named Wednesday’s player of the year.
Republic of Ireland international Westwood will set you back wages of £16,000 a week for his 74 overall rating. That gets you stats of 78 strength, 76 GK diving and 76 GK reflexes.
Gary Hooper (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 30
Positions: ST
Club: Sheffield Wednesday
Country: England
Work rate Medium/Low
Best stats: 79 composure, 77 finishing, 77 shot power
Wage: £24,000 a week
The gulf in class between Scottish and English football was clear to see judging by Gary Hooper’s move from Celtic in 2013. The striker scored 63 league goals in 95 games in the Scottish Premiership, but only notched six for Norwich in his first Premier League season. The 30-year-old has since moved on to Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship and has been a success, scoring 30 goals over the last three campaigns.
Hooper’s 79 composure, 77 finishing and 77 shot power take his overall to 74. The English forward comes with wages of £24,000 a week.
Luciano Narsingh (OVR 74 – POT 74)
Age: 28
Positions: RW, LW
Club: Swansea City
Country: Holland
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 91 acceleration, 91 sprint speed, 80 agility
Wage: £24,000 a week
Luciano Narsingh shone back in the Eredivisie, bagging 22 assists in the 2011/12 campaign and winning two league titles for PSV. He looked to continue this at Swansea, but six assists and two goals in 38 games speaks volumes about what has happened to the club of late.
Right or left winger Narsingh can be snapped up with wages of £24,000 a week at the end of the season, giving you his 74 overall. Top stats of 91 acceleration, 91 sprint speed and 80 agility make him a useful asset off the bench for any side.
Mike van der Hoorn (OVR 73 – POT 76)
Age: 25
Positions: CB
Club: Swansea City
Country: Holland
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 85 strength, 83 jumping, 80 heading accuracy
Wage: £18,000 a week
Staying at Swansea, Mike van der Hoorn made the breakthrough last season but his promising defensive partnership with former teammate Alfie Mawson (OVR 75) was not enough to save the Swans from the drop. Van der Hoorn has continued to perform in the Championship, making 12 appearances under new manager Graham Potter.
85 strength, 83 jumping and 80 heading accuracy take the 25-year-old Van der Hoorn to a 73 overall, rising to a potential of 76. That makes the Dutchman a fantastic contract expiry signing, especially with wages of £18,000 a week.
Nelson Oliveira (OVR 73 – POT 74)
Age: 27
Positions: ST
Club: Norwich
Country: Portugal
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 77 shot power, 77 strength, 75 sprint speed
Wage: £22,000 a week
Nelson Oliveira has racked up 17 caps for Portugal, but it is surprising considering he had failed to net ten goals in a season until moving to Norwich. The striker scored 15 goals in 31 games in 2016/17, and added a further eight in the Championship last season. The Portuguese is yet to appear in the league this season, and the Canaries desperately need him if they are to mount a promotion challenge.
Oliveira’s 73 overall rating can creep up to a 74 potential, equipped with 77 shot power, 77 strength and 75 sprint speed abilities. With wages of £22,000 a week and aged 27, the forward is a good option to have in your squad.
All the best EFL Championship contract expiry signings
Player | Age | Pos | Club | Country | OVR | POT | W |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wilfried Bony | 29 | ST | Swansea | Ivory Coast | 76 | 76 | £29k |
Leroy Fer | 28 | CM | Swansea | Holland | 75 | 75 | £25k |
Chris Brunt | 33 | CM LM LB RM | West Brom | N. Ireland | 74 | 74 | £26k |
Timm Klose | 30 | CB | Norwich | Switz. | 74 | 74 | £20k |
Ibrahim Afellay | 32 | CAM CM LM RM | Stoke | Holland | 74 | 74 | £32k |
Keiren Westwood | 33 | GK | Sheff. Wed | Rep. Ireland | 74 | 74 | £16k |
Gary Hooper | 30 | ST | Sheff. Wed | England | 74 | 74 | £24k |
Luciano Narsingh | 27 | RW LW | Swansea | Holland | 74 | 74 | £24k |
Mile Jedinak | 33 | CDM CB | Aston Villa | Australia | 73 | 73 | £14k |
Tom Huddlestone | 31 | CDM CM | Derby | England | 73 | 73 | £27k |
Joe Ledley | 31 | CDM CM | Derby | Wales | 73 | 73 | £27k |
Wes Hoolahan | 36 | CAM LM RM | West Brom | Rep. Ireland | 73 | 73 | £18k |
Nelson Oliveira | 26 | ST | Norwich | Portugal | 73 | 74 | £22k |
Peter Crouch | 37 | ST | Stoke | England | 73 | 73 | £25k |
Mike van der Hoorn | 25 | CB | Swansea | Holland | 73 | 76 | £18k |
Charlie Mulgrew | 32 | CB CM | Blackburn | Scotland | 72 | 72 | £24k |
Stewart Downing | 33 | LM LW CAM | Middlesbro' | England | 72 | 72 | £32k |
Angel Rangel | 35 | RB | QPR | Spain | 72 | 72 | £5k |
Gareth Barry | 37 | CDM CM | West Brom | England | 72 | 72 | £14k |
James Morrison | 32 | CAM CM | West Brom | Scotland | 72 | 72 | £21k |
Chris Basham | 29 | CB CM RWB | Sheff. United | England | 72 | 72 | £9k |
Nick Powell | 24 | CAM | Wigan | England | 72 | 76 | £28k |
Yoann Barbet | 25 | LB CB | Brentford | France | 72 | 76 | £23k |
Martin Olsson | 30 | LB LWB | Swansea | Sweden | 72 | 72 | £16k |
Glenn Whelan | 34 | CDM CM | Aston Villa | Rep. Ireland | 71 | 71 | £11k |
Mark Beevers | 28 | CB | Bolton | England | 71 | 71 | £7k |
David Nugent | 33 | ST | Derby | England | 71 | 71 | £25k |
Craig Bryson | 31 | CM CDM | Derby | Scotland | 71 | 71 | £23k |
Jonas Knudsen | 25 | LB CB LWB | Ipswich | Denmark | 71 | 74 | £6k |
Jordan Archer | 25 | GK | Millwall | Scotland | 71 | 74 | £6k |
Bakary Sako | 30 | LM | West Brom | Mali | 71 | 71 | £19k |
Ivo Pinto | 28 | RB | Norwich | Portugal | 71 | 71 | £15k |
Billy Sharp | 32 | ST | Sheff. United | England | 71 | 71 | £9k |
David McGoldrick | 30 | ST CAM | Sheff. United | Rep. Ireland | 71 | 71 | £9k |
Paul Coutts | 29 | CM | Sheff. United | Scotland | 71 | 71 | £9k |
Tom Clarke | 30 | CB RB | Preston | England | 71 | 71 | £8k |
Darren Fletcher | 34 | CM CDM | Stoke | Scotland | 71 | 71 | £23k |
Kieran Lee | 30 | CM | Sheff. Wed | England | 71 | 71 | £16k |
Bailey Wright | 25 | CB RB | Bristol City | Australia | 71 | 74 | £20k |
David Marshall | 33 | GK | Hull | Scotland | 71 | 71 | £12k |
Evandro | 31 | CAM CM | Hull | Brazil | 71 | 71 | £16k |
Markus Henriksen | 25 | CM CAM CDM | Hull | Norway | 71 | 74 | £15k |
Wayne Routledge | 33 | RM RW LM | Swansea | England | 71 | 71 | £16k |
Idrissa Sylla | 27 | ST | QPR | Guinea | 70 | 71 | £6k |
Grant Ward | 23 | RM CM | Ipswich | England | 70 | 76 | £5k |
Daniel Johnson | 25 | CM CAM LM | Preston | Jamaica | 70 | 73 | £7k |
Callum Robinson | 23 | LM ST LW | Preston | Rep. Ireland | 70 | 79 | £7k |
Korey Smith | 27 | CM CDM | Bristol City | England | 70 | 71 | £20k |
Moses Odubajo | 24 | RB | Brentford | England | 70 | 75 | £16k |
W = Wage