With quality footballing meat at a premium in the summer transfer window, teams in the Championship are using their pre-season friendlies to size up new talent.

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All Ferencvaros winger Sandor Fitos did was catch the eye in a 3-2 friendly defeat to Sheffield United last week, and he's now been summoned to Bramall Lane for a one-week trial.

Likewise, Pedro Mendes's least-favourite left-back Ben Thatcher (pictured) is close to a move to Ipswich after impressing Tractor Boys boss Jim Magilton on a pre-season tour of Northern Ireland.

Magilton has since opened contract talks with the 32-year-old former Wales international, who was recently released by Charlton.

The Daily Star reports that 21-year-old Portsmouth defender Martin Cranie is set to be snapped up by Coventry, while Crystal Palace are in the process of signing non-league goal ace Simon Thomas - no, not the former Blue Peter presenter - who netted 26 times for Boreham Wood in the Ryman League last season.

Jay Bothroyd's nomadic career has already taken in spells at Coventry, Perugia, Blackburn, Charlton and Wolves, and it could be about to take a further twist with the news that Cardiff are set to hijack the 26-year-old's proposed £500,000 move to Leeds.

Charlton lead the queue for Nigerian defender Sam Sodje after he was released by Reading, but Hearts midfielder Andrew Driver will not be gracing the stadia of the Championship next season after the 20-year-old Burnley target insisted he is staying put in Scotland.