The discussion over which Championship club has the finest striker is sure to provoke heated disagreement among fans.
It is tough to judge a striker solely on their goal tally, as there are numerous other elements to consider when determining the best striker in the second division.
Plenty of the finest Championship forwards are capable of making the jump to the Premier League, and it will be interesting to watch what the future holds for some of them as the summer transfer window approaches.
Here at Football League World, we’ll go through the Championship’s top 15 strikers in descending order.
15 Richard Kone
Kone attracted the spotlight for all the right reasons during his time at Wycombe Wanderers, when he scored 25 goals in 74 games.
Those excellent performances appear to have paid off, as the forward was signed by QPR ahead of the 2025/26 season, and he has spent no time settling in.
Kone has been a regular in the QPR starting XI and has adjusted well to the Championship level, and he will be optimistic about his chances of moving up the English football pyramid in the future.
14 Mihailo Ivanovic
Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic is ranked 14th on our list, having impressed in his first few seasons with the Lions.
The Serbian international still has his finest years ahead of him, but the early indicators are encouraging, with him on track to achieve double figures in goals for the second consecutive season with Millwall in the Championship.
Alex Neil’s club is vying for promotion to the Premier League this season, and the Millwall manager will be hoping that Ivanovic can maintain them in contention for a top-two finish.
13 Aune Heggebo
West Brom fans haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years, but Aune Heggebø is one of the few players they look forward to seeing every week.
The Danish striker shown his clinical edge in front of goal for the Baggies during the 2025/26 season and could attract interest from other clubs if West Brom struggle to remain afloat in the Championship.
If his first season in English football is any indication, he has a promising future.
12 George Hirst
Hirst started his career at Sheffield Wednesday before joining Leicester City in 2019. Following that, he went on loan to Rotherham United, Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, and Ipswich Town, where he seemed to have made a very excellent impression.
He signed permanently for the Tractor Boys the following season after his loan term, and he has been a mainstay in Kieran McKenna’s starting lineup for much of the season.
He’s returned that faith with plenty of goals, and he’ll be looking forward to potentially playing in the Premier League with Ipswich next season.
11 Carlton Morris
Morris has been in the Championship for Luton Town, Norwich City, Rotherham United, Barnsley, and now Derby County, and he is a reliable attacking option for any second-tier club.
The former Luton attacker was a key figure in the Hatters’ dream promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23, scoring 20 goals in 44 league games for them.
He now plays for Derby County, and Rams fans will be hoping to see him add to his impressive goal tally from now until the end of the season, with Derby solidly in contention for a top-six finish.
10Tommy Conway
Tommy Conway is next on our list, having impressed for Middlesbrough and Bristol City in his professional career so far.
He’s a strong energy source in attack and has scored some important goals for Middlesbrough as they attempt to make a timely return to the Premier League this season.
The 23-year-old has certainly been impressed by manager Kim Hellberg’s effect throughout his time at the club, and has previously praised his new boss.
Conway is more than capable of adapting to the demands of Premier League football, and it will be interesting to see if Boro can retain their nerve in the race for promotion.
9Ellis Simms
Simms battled for opportunities at Everton in the early stages of his professional career, but he has gained the attention of several clubs since leaving the Premier League.
Loan appearances with Blackpool, Hearts, and Sunderland aided his career, but it was at Coventry City that he established himself on a permanent basis.
The Oldham-born striker has played extensively for the Sky Blues over the years, scoring some crucial goals, particularly this season, as they appear set for promotion to the top flight.
8Joe Gelhardt
Gelhardt is the type of striker that makes life difficult for defenders throughout the game. Gelhardt’s press, which has been extremely effective for Hull City this season, gives centre-backs very little time on the ball.
The former England youth international has become a frequent goal scorer for the Tigers this season and will have piqued Leeds United fans’ interest.
Gelhardt is still only 23, and he has a lot to contribute at this level going forward, so it will be intriguing to see if he has a long-term future with Leeds.
7 Jay Stansfield
Birmingham City signed Stansfield from Fulham for a reported sum of around £15 million, which raised many eyebrows for a club competing in English football’s third tier at the time.
He had an outstanding record in League One with Birmingham last season and was instrumental in their promotion back to the Championship, in what was a remarkable campaign from beginning to end.
Birmingham is a team with big ambitions, and Stansfield will play an important part for them in the future, especially if he continues to improve as a player.
6Oli McBurnie
The Hull City forward is a bit of a pantomime villain for opposition clubs, but he must be doing something right on the pitch.
McBurnie has played an important role in Hull’s unexpected bid for Premier League promotion this season, forming a solid attacking tandem with Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt.
McBurnie’s impressive record with Swansea City earlier in his career earned him a move to Sheffield United while they were in the Premier League, and the Scotsman will be eager to return to the Premier League as soon as possible, as he is certainly capable of moving up from the Championship.
5Kieffer Moore
Moore has two Championship promotions on his CV, having previously finished runner-up in the second division with Ipswich Town and AFC Bournemouth.
The seasoned Welshman was part of Sheffield United’s side that just missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season, and he then left the club to join Wrexham.
Moore has scored goals for Phil Parkinson’s team in 2025/26 and will be expected to add to his tally with Wrexham strongly in contention for back-to-back promotions.
4Zan Vipotnik
Zan Vipotnik had few eye-catching statistics to work with when he first joined Swansea City, and even the most optimistic Swans fans could not have predicted how brilliantly he’d perform for them.
The Slovenian international has scored more goals for Swansea in two seasons than any of his previous teams, and he’ll fancy his chances of winning the Championship Golden Boot in 2025/26 if he can maintain his remarkable form.
It’s easy to forget that he’s only 24, and his finest years could still be ahead of him. If he continues to score goals on a regular basis, he may be promoted to the next level.
3Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang was not well-known among English football fans until this season.
The forward joined Derby County in the summer of 2025, and he quickly regained his footing in front of goal after joining from American club Charlotte FC.
It remains to be seen whether Agyemang will stay in the Championship with Derby, as Crystal Palace and Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing the 25-year-old.
Agyemang has a remarkable goalscoring record for the USA national team, with five goals in 12 appearances, and is well deserving of a spot in the top 15.
2Patrick Bamford
Patrick Bamford has an undeniably impressive record in the Championship, and he deserves to be on this list.
The 32-year-old helped Leeds United win promotion to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, and if you’re looking for a dependable, experienced forward in the Championship, Bamford is your man.
He has also improved in the second tier with Sheffield United, where he has been in excellent form since going to Bramall Lane in November 2025.
1Haji Wright
Haji Wright is our top pick for the greatest Championship striker, and he appears to be on his way to the Premier League.
The forward joined Coventry City from Turkish club Antalyaspor in 2023, and he has scored in double figures in each of his three full seasons with the Sky Blues to date, including this year’s campaign, with Wright playing a key role in Coventry City’s promotion to the top flight.
He’ll be trying to keep scoring from now until the end of the season, as Wright hopes to be named to Mauricio Pochettino’s USA national squad for this year’s World Cup.
If Wright continues to dazzle in front of goal, it would not be shocking to see other clubs express interest in signing the 27-year-old.
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