There won't be many clubs in the Championship who are signing big cheques when the transfer market opens on New Year's Day.

Value is notoriously hard to find in the January window but that is not to say that deals can't be done. Stoke found Million Manhoef available 11 months ago, for example, as cash-strapped Vitesse Arnhem were forced to let one of their main assets become available.

Back then, Steven Schumacher also completed a deadline day deal for his old Plymouth Argyle forward Niall Ennis from Blackburn while, a year previously, Alex Neil did late business to sign Matija Sarkic, Bersant Celina, Ki-Jana Hoever, Ben Pearson and Axel Tuanzebe on loan.

READ MORE: Sol Sidibe reveals his own Stoke City heroes and ambitions for the New Year

READ MORE: Five players who could leave Stoke City in January

There were free deals for Lewis Baker and Phil Jagielka in 2022 under Michael O'Neill, who also brought in Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jaden Philogene, Josh Maja and Liam Moore on loan that month. In 2021, he had swooped for Alfie Doughty and loans Rabbi Matondo, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Jack Clarke.

So, all in all, not much cash changing hands but important to be alive to opportunities - and players who are out of contract next summer who will be alert to that as well. There are dozens up and down the Championship who will be free agents at the end of the season and could be targeted for a move a few months early.

We have compiled a list of the 2025 out-of-contract gang using data from transfermarkt and sorted into positions and by age. Who catches your eye who could make a difference at Stoke in the here and now or for 2025/26? Click HERE to join the debate.

BETWEEN THE STICKS

Frank Fielding (36, Stoke)

Simon Eastwood (35, Oxford)

James Shea (33, Luton)

Ben Wilson (32, Coventry)

Jonathan Bond (31, Watford)

Jack Bonham (31, Stoke)

Jak Alnwick (31, Cardiff)

Angus Gunn (28, Norwich)

Conal Trueman (28, Millwall)

Ed McGinty (25, Oxford)

Joe Hilton (25, Blackburn)

Ted Cann (23, West Brom)

Archie Mair (23, Norwich)

Rohan Luthra (22, Derby)

Stefan Bajic (22, Bristol City)

Jack Barrett (22, Blackburn)

Alfie Marriott (20, Watford)

Jacob Knightbridge (20, Oxford)

AT THE BACK

Kyle McFadzean (37, centre-back, Blackburn)

Kyle Naughton (36, right-back, Swansea)

Angelo Ogbonna (36, centre-back, Watford)

Craig Forsyth (35, left-back, Derby)

Enda Stevens (34, left-back, Stoke)

Joe Bennett (34, left-back, Oxford)

Shaun Hutchinson (34, centre-back, Millwall)

Danny Batth (34, centre-back, Blackburn)

Liam Palmer (33, right-back, Sheffield Wednesday)

Kyle Bartley (33, centre-back, West Brom)

Steve Cook (33, centre-back, QPR)

Grant Hanley (33, centre-back, Norwich)

Sonny Bradley (33, centre-back, Derby)

Cyrus Christie (32, right-back, Swansea)

Tommy Smith (32, right-back, Middlesbrough)

John Egan (32, centre-back, Burnley)

Kal Naismith (32, centre-back, Bristol City)

Sam Byram (31, right-back, Leeds)

Morgan Fox (31, left-back, QPR)

Jake Bidwell (31, left-back, Coventry)

Semi Ajayi (31, centre-back, West Brom)

Jack Robinson (31, centre-back, Sheffield United)

Kristian Pedersen (30, left-back, Swansea)

Jamilu Collins (30, left-back, Cardiff)

Dimitrios Goutas (30, centre-back, Cardiff)

Connor Roberts (29, right-back, Burnley)

Michael Rose (29, centre-back, Stoke)

Anfernee Dijksteel (28, right-back, Middlesbrough)

Junior Firpo (28, left-back, Leeds)

Matt Clarke (28, centre-back, Middlesbrough)

Dominic Hyam (28, centre-back, Blackburn)

Pol Valentin (27, right-back, Sheffield Wednesday)

Kenneth Paal (27, left-back, QPR)

Jimmy Dunne (27, centre-back, QPR)

Julio Pleguezuelo (27, centre-back, Plymouth)

Akin Famewo (26, centre-back, Sheffield Wednesday)

Regan Poole (26, centre-back, Portsmouth)

Ciaron Brown (26, centre-back, Oxford)

Harry Darling (25, centre-back, Swansea)

Zak Swanson (24, right-back, Portsmouth)

Kane Wilson (24, right-back, Derby)

Ben Cabango (24, centre-back, Swansea)

Jonathan Tomkinson (22, centre-back, Norwich)

Jaden Warner (22, centre-back, Norwich)

CJ Egan-Riley (21, centre-back, Burnley)

IN THE MIDDLE

Joshua Guilavogui (34, defensive midfielder, Leeds)

Joe Allen (34, central midfielder, Swansea)

Aaron Ramsey (33, central midfielder, Cardiff)

Andreas Weimann (33, attacking midfielder, Blackburn)

Josh McEachran (31, central midfielder, Oxford)

Joe Ralls (31, central midfielder, Cardiff)

Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu (30, defensive midfielder, Luton)

Lucas Anderson (30, attacking midfielder, QPR)

Jordan Houghton (29, defensive midfielder, Plymouth)

John Swift (29, central midfielder, West Brom)

Jamie Allen (29, central midfielder, Coventry)

Emiliano Marcondes (29, attacking midfielder, Norwich)

Lynden Gooch (28, utility man, Stoke)

Josh Brownhill (28, central midfielder, Burnley)

Mark Sykes (27, right midfielder, Bristol City)

Jordan Thompson (27, central midfielder, Stoke)

Ben Stevenson (27, central midfielder, Portsmouth)

Andy RInomhota (27, central midfielder, Cardiff)

Ilias Chair (27, attacking midfielder, QPR)

Jacob Lungi Sorensen (26, defensive midfielder, Norwich)

Tom Lowery (26, central midfielder, Portsmouth)

Jayson Molumby (25, central midfielder, West Brom)

Andre Dozzell (25, central midfielder, Portsmouth)

Billy Mitchell (23, central midfielder, Millwall)

Liam Thompson (22, defensive midfielder, Derby)

Omar Taylor-Clarke (21, defensive midfielder, Bristol City)

UP FRONT

Ashley Barnes (35, centre-forward, Norwich)

Jay Rodriguez (35, centre-forward, Burnley)

James Collins (34, centre-forward, Derby)

Nahki Wells (34, centre-forward, Bristol City)

Michael Smith (33, centre-forward, Sheffield Wednesday)

Tom Bradshaw (32, centre-forward, Millwall)

Joao Pedro (32, centre-forward, Hull)

Conor Washington (32, centre-forward, Derby)

Ken Sema (31, winger, Watford)

Christian Fassnacht (31, winger, Norwich)

Onel Hernandez (31, winger, Norwich)

Tom Barkhuizen (31, winger, Derby)

Nathan Redmond (30, winger, Burnley)

Duncan Watmore (30, forward, Millwall)

Callum Paterson (30, centre-forward, Sheffield Wednesday)

Michael Frey (30, centre-forward, QPR)

Anwar El Ghazi (29, winger, Cardiff)

Ryan Hedges (29, winger, Blackburn)

Callum Robinson (29, centre-forward, Cardiff)

Yakou Meite (28, forward, Cardiff)

Colly Bishop (28, centre-forward, Portsmouth)

Mustapha Bundu (27, winger, Plymouth)

Grady Diangana (26, winger, West Brom)

Kyle Edwards (26, winger, Norwich)

Dogukan Sinik (25, winger, Hull)

Anror Sigurdsson (25, winger, Blackburn)

Kusini Yengi (25, centre-forward, Portsmouth)

Anthony Musaba (24, winger, Sheffield Wednesday)

Ryan Longman (24, winger, Hull)

Aaron Connolly (24, centre-forward, Sunderland)

Rhian Brewster (24, centre-forward, Sheffield United)

Fabio Tavares (23, centre-forward, Coventry)

Isaak Davies (23, centre-forward, Cardiff)

Kion Etete (23, centre-forward, Cardiff)

Tony Springett (22, winger, Norwich)

Sam Bell (22, winger, Bristol City)

Tyrhys Dolan (22, winger, Blackburn)

Will Jarvis (22, centre-forward, Hull)

Emre Tezgel (19, centre-forward, Stoke)

Who catches your eye? Click HERE to join the debate