What does your Sky Bet Championship club need? Part One: Aston Villa to Hull City

Fans from Aston Villa, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bolton, Brentford, Bristol City, Derby and Hull tell us their January window wishes

By Billy Grant, Beesotted Fanzine and Podcast @BillyTheBee99

We have asked fans of all 24 Sky Bet Championship clubs where their team needs strengthening, who they need to keep hold of and who their ideal signing would be in January.

Part One runs from Aston Villa to Hull City...

2 - Strap - Latest Sky Bet odds

Aston Villa

Dan Bardell (@TheVillaView_) - The Villa View YouTube Channel

Where does your team need strengthening?

Defence. We have had no issues scoring goals but if you cannot keep clean sheets, you will not win football matches.

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Who do you need to keep hold of?

It looks like Tammy Abraham will be staying at Villa for the foreseeable future. He is the best striker in the Championship so keeping hold of him was crucial. It is essential that we do not lose Jack Grealish this window, but personally I think that is unlikely.

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Who is your ideal signing?

I would like Rico Henry. He has had injury problems but he knows Dean Smith's way and would add a new dimension going forward from left-back for us.

Image: Tammy Abraham looks to be staying at Aston Villa

Watch the EFL Championship Goals show

Catch all these fans giving their match-day verdicts on the EFL Championship Goals show, live on Sky Sports Football from 8pm on Saturdays. Also available on-demand.

Birmingham City

Bik Singh (@Blues_4_All) - Blues 4 All Fan Group

Where does your team need strengthening?

Lee Camp has done well but we need another goalkeeper to challenge and provide cover. We also need another central midfielder as we are short in that department.

What does your Champ club need? Pt 2

Fans from Ipswich, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Preston and QPR tell us their January window wishes.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

Striker Che Adams. He is having his best season with the Blues and is our current top scorer.

Who is your ideal signing?

Transfers have been limited by the current embargo but Barry Bannan has impressed me. A player of his ilk - despite his controversial Villa connection - would give us something extra in midfield.

Image: Che Adams has been in fine form for Birmingham this season

Blackburn Rovers

Daniel Scott (@TalkBlackburn)

Where does your team need strengthening?

Throughout the first half of the season, we have looked a bit troubled at the back. I feel a new centre-back and set of full-backs would make us more solid.

What does your Champ club need? Pt 3

Fans from Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke, Swansea, West Brom and Wigan tell us their January window wishes.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

Midfielder Bradley Dack is a key player for Rovers. When he does not feature, Blackburn tend to lack that little bit of extra flair he brings to the game.

Who is your ideal signing?

I think Patrick Bauer from Charlton will be an ideal signing for Rovers. A big and strong presence at the back, Blackburn could get him for a good price as he will be coming from League One.

Image: Bradley Dack has been a key man for Blackburn

Bolton Wanderers

Ed Skelly (@LionOfViennaSte) - Lion of Vienna Suite

Where does your team need strengthening?

Sadly, as on-field matters have taken a back seat and the club continues to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons off the pitch, it is hard to talk positively about any Bolton transfer activity at present.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

Due to money owed to creditors, Wanderers have been placed under a registration embargo, which has meant that Remi Matthews and Christian Doidge have returned to their parent clubs and their permanent moves have been cancelled. Keeping hold of key players could prove tricky this window.

Who is your ideal signing?

It is expected the club is likely to lose more players into the window. Signing players is not an option at this moment in time.

Image: Bolton boss Phil Parkinson

Brentford

Kate Graham (@KMG_DrRevenge) - Beesotted Blog & Podcast

Where does your team need strengthening?

We need a back-up striker. A young player with potential who we can develop and deputise for Neal Maupay when needed.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

Maupay. Our midfield and wingers haven't been scoring as many goals as we might like and we would be really lost without him.

Who is your ideal signing?

Someone like Alex Pritchard. Creative, hard-working and can score goals. Huddersfield do not seem to know how to use him. He would be welcome back after we had him on loan a few seasons back.

Image: Neal Maupay has enjoyed an excellent season for Brentford

Bristol City

Rob Fernandes (@BS3Rob) - South Bristol

Where does your team need strengthening?

We are weakest up front as we have not replaced the pace and intelligence of Bobby Reid and lost our aerial target in Aden Flint. A proven target man and someone to play in the hole, whose name is not Jamie Paterson, would both help.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

England U21 left-back Lloyd Kelly is easily our hottest property but City have plenty of defensive cover. Centre-back Adam Webster and midfielder Josh Brownhill are battling for Player of the Season. But as we are so depleted in the centre of the park, losing Brownhill would be a disaster.

Who is your ideal signing?

No one. Under Lee Johnson, City have invested heavily in strength-in-depth and youth (and endless wingers). The manager needs to start using the best of all his squad options - Niclas Eliasson an example - for more than one game a month.

Image: Lloyd Kelly is impressing at Bristol City

Derby County

Chris Parsons (@SteveBloomerPod) - Steve Bloomer's Washing podcast

Where does your team need strengthening?

Defence. Five clean sheets in 26 matches is not good enough. Improved centre-back cover is essential, though Frank Lampard has worryingly said he is happy with what we have got.

Who do you need to keep hold of?

Striker Jack Marriott. Unlikely to leave and has hit the ground running in his debut Championship season. He is a natural goalscorer and is essential to our promotion hopes.

Who's your ideal signing?

Chelsea centre-back Ethan Ampadu would have been useful on loan but Lampard has admitted defeat on that one. Alternatively, someone experienced like Gary Cahill, but much cheaper!

Image: Jack Marriott has hit the ground running for Derby

Hull City

Bobbi Hadgraft (‪@bobbihadg)

Where does your team need strengthening?

Central defence, up front and on the wing. Our attack has improved in recent games, 15 goals in our last five league fixtures, but we still need more options - especially after Will Keane's departure to Ipswich.

Image: Jarrod Bowen is enjoying his campaign at Hull

Who do you need to keep hold of?

It is vital we hold onto top scorer striker Jarrod Bowen. There has been a lot of interest in both him and winger Kamil Grosicki - key players who have contributed massively to our upturn in form.

Who is your ideal signing?

Limited finances are an obstacle but I am hoping we can bring a couple of players in on loan. Southampton's Sam Gallagher appears a good attacking prospect having previously experienced successful spells in the Championship.

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