Welcome to Yorkshire – clubs recruit for the new campaign

Many have secured the players they feel will make the difference yet, for others, there is still work to be done.

Hull City have spent the summer getting rid of players as a result of relegation from the Premier League and new manager Nigel Pearson has signed only two fresh faces – former Sheffield United midfielder James Harper and veteran Peruvian international Nolberto Solano. Jimmy Bullard's future remains unclear but the former England international is now an extremely heavy burden on the club's wage bill.

The departure of Jermaine Beckford to Everton left Leeds United manager Simon Grayson with a major hole to fill in attack.

Grayson moved quickly to sign Billy Paynter – a 25-year-old who bagged 29 goals last season and was out of contract at Swindon Town – but is still looking for another with Scunthorpe United's Gary Hooper high on his wanted list.

Kasper Schmeichel takes over as Leeds's new No 1 goalkeeper after being released from his contract with big spenders Notts County.

Leeds will also have plenty of competition in defence with Derby County right-back Paul Connolly, Swansea City left-back Federic Bessone and Preston North End centre-back Neil Collins arriving in the last few weeks.

Mark Robins always made it clear that he would shake things up at Barnsley this summer and the former Rotherham United manager has been true to his word.

Midfielder Diego Arismendi is his latest signing, on loan for the season from Stoke City. The

22-year-old is a full Uruguayan international tipped for a big future in the game.

Serbian midfielder Goran Lovre is still a stranger to English football but has arrived from Dutch club FC Groningen carrying high expectations.

Wolves defender Jason Shackell, who rejected a move to Doncaster Rovers, fills the void vacated by veteran Darren Moore and striker Liam Dickinson has switched from Brighton and Hove Albion. Jay McEveley is a left-back with plenty of Championship experience while winger Jim O'Brien was one of the stars of the Scottish Premier League last season with Motherwell.

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan completed his fourth signing of the summer yesterday when Scottish international defender Stephen McManus moved to the Riverside Stadium in a 1.5m deal from Celtic. He joins new arrivals Kris Boyd, Andrew Halliday and Nicky Bailey.

Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll smashed his club's transfer record to sign striker Billy Sharp in a 1.15m deal from neighbours Sheffield United. Sharp, who scored 15 goals in 34 appearances on loan for Rovers, had also been the subject of interest from Leeds and Burnley.

Sharp's arrival was a major coup but Rovers missed out on a number of other targets due to the greater financial strength of rival clubs.

O'Driscoll hopes George Friend, signed on a free from Wolves, can replace Gareth Roberts, who moves to Derby, while Southampton midfielder Simon Gillett has returned after impressing on loan last season.

Sheffield United were rocked when Paddy Kenny opted to link up with former manager Neil Warnock at Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers. Kenny was sold for 750,000 and is replaced by free signing Steve Simonsen from Stoke City.

The sales of Kenny and Sharp brought cash into the Bramall Lane coffers and helped Blackwell sign a hat-trick of players with good Championship pedigrees: Barnsley striker Daniel Bogdanovic, Swansea City midfielder Leon Britton and Crystal Palace defender Johannes Ertl. In two surprise deals, Blackwell signed former Leeds youngster Simon Walton on loan from Plymouth Argyle and brought free agent Rob Kozluk back to the club after three years at Barnsley. Walton, however, will miss the season with a knee ligament injury.

Sheffield Wednesday signalled their intention to bounce back immediately from relegation to League One with a series of eye-catching investments.

Former Republic of Ireland international striker Clinton Morrison became the club's eighth new signing of the summer on Monday after being released by Coventry City.

Manager Alan Irvine has also signed striker Neil Mellor and winger Chris Sedgwick from his former club Preston North End, winger Gary Teale from Derby County, and striker Paul Heffernan from Doncaster. Southampton defender Jon Otsemobor, Wolves utility player Daniel Jones, and Motherwell midfielder Giles Coke complete the list of new arrivals at Hillsborough but it remains to be seen whether there will be high profile departures.

After losing in last season's play-off semi-finals, Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark has been busy in the transfer market. So far, 11 players have been moved out with six new arrivals moving in.

The capture of Gary Naysmith from Sheffield United underlines Town's ambition with the Scottish international left-back even prepared to move down a division to accept better terms.

Town paid around 400,000 to land highly-rated midfielder Scott Arfield from Falkirk and have also tempted Burnley midfielder Joey Gudjonsson, Derby County winger Lee Croft and Bristol City centre-back Jamie McCombe to the Galpharm Stadium. Veteran goalkeeper Ian Bennett comes in from Sheffield United.

Bradford City manager Peter Taylor paid 25,000 to sign Jake Speight from Mansfield Town.

Taylor has brought two of his former Wycombe Wanderers players to Valley Parade in the shape of defender Luke Oliver and midfielder Tommy Doherty.

Teenage midfielder Tom Ademayi signed on loan yesterday from Norwich City and Taylor has also recruited Cheltenham centre-back Shane Duff, left-back Robbie Threlfall, released by Liverpool, and former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Lloyd Saxton.

Rotherham United have lost first-team regulars including Ian Sharps, Mark Lynch and Pablo Mills, but drafted in Johnny Mullins (Stockport), Luke Ashworth (Leyton Orient), Bury duo Ryan Cresswell and Tom Newey and Walsall's Mark Bradley. Striker Marcus Marshall has also joined on a permanent basis from Blackburn Rovers.

One thing is guaranteed, there will be more deals done before August 7.

Bates rewards grayson with new elland road contract following promotion

LEEDS United manager Simon Grayson has landed a new three-year deal as a reward for steering the club into the Championship.

Grayson, who also led Blackpool out of League One before quitting to join Leeds 18 months ago, was previously on a 12-month rolling deal at Elland Road.

According to chairman Ken Bates, Grayson rejected offers from other clubs to stay with Leeds, the club he has supported all his life and played for at the start of his career.

"I'm very pleased Simon has committed his future to the club despite enticing offers from elsewhere," said Bates. "We have every confidence in him. He has won two promotions in his managerial career – one here and one at Blackpool – and we're hoping he can make that a hat-trick at the club where he first started out."

Grayson, 40, has been linked with vacancies at both Leicester City and Burnley in the last 12 months but has always insisted that he is happy at Leeds.

"I'm delighted the club have offered me a longer contract," said Grayson, pictured. "My intentions have always been to take the club forward and, after achieving promotion last season, I hope we can go on to fulfil everyone's dream of winning promotion back to the Premier League.

"I work closely with the chairman and Shaun (Harvey, chief operating officer), we've got a good relationship, and I hope we can keep progressing as a club.

"That's what we're all working towards."

Grayson became the fourth manager of the club in just two years when he replaced former team-mate Gary McAllister in December 2008.

After suffering the heartbreak of play-off semi-final defeat against Millwall just five months later, Grayson guided Leeds to automatic promotion at the end of his first full season in charge.

Rotherham United have suffered a major pre-season blow with news that striker Ryan Taylor will be out of action for around four months with a broken metatarsal suffered in training.