Shrewsbury's bid to clamber back into the top half of the League One table next season could be handed a boost soon, with the side set to complete deals for two Championship players as reported by the Shropshire Star.

The club finished in 18th last season and were much closer to the drop zone than they would have liked. They would much rather be pushing towards the top end of the division and that will mean recruiting smartly to ensure they do just that in the next campaign.

Now, the Shrews are ready to start doing some serious business soon, with two Championship players set to drop down to the third tier to help the club in their bid to push on.

Those names linked are Tom Bayliss of Preston and Julien DaCosta of Coventry. The latter of the two may be a name familiar to Shrewsbury fans too, as he has been a target for the club previously but now may finally complete a deal to join the League One outfit.

The 26-year-old has never played any lower in England than the Championship but has really struggled to get going with his current club. He has only managed 12 starts in total for the Sky Blues in the league and last year had to make do with being sent out on loan to Portugal.

Even during that loan spell he managed only five starts - but he will be hoping for plenty more opportunities at Shrewsbury if a deal can be done.

Tom Bayliss will be hoping for likewise. He's never really been given ample opportunity at PNE either, managing just the three Championship starts over the course of his time at Deepdale. Similarly, he too was sent out on loan last year to Wigan, so does have some League One experience, but could only manage eight third tier games.

North End are even that desperate to get him off their books that they are exploring the possibility of releasing him from his contract. That would enable Shrewsbury to swoop in and sign him on the cheap, if there is a fee involved at all - meaning a deal is much more likely for the midfielder.

The Verdict

Shrewsbury would be making some serious moves if they could land either of these two players or both of them this summer.

Julien DaCosta might not have been able to do much in the Championship but there are signs of promise there. He was decent enough in Ligue 2 and hasn't been given too much regular action for the Sky Blues or enough consistent gametime to really begin to get going. If he gets it with the Shrews then it could pay off handsomely.

The same could again be said about Tom Bayliss. For Coventry he was superb in the third tier but was never really given the chance to recreate that kind of form in the Championship for North End.

The talent is there though and considering that, unlike DaCosta, he is experienced in the third tier and he ticks plenty of boxes. A free transfer as well would really cement it as an excellent piece of business by Shrewsbury.