There is a long break before the 2026-27 season begins, but the new season will not be a success for everyone, so here’s a look at the eight clubs most likely to suffer in this division next season.
The 2025-26 Championship season could not have ended more controversially, with Southampton being denied a place in the play-off final against Middlesbrough due to their involvement in the Spygate scandal, and some players in the division will not have much of a break, with the 2026 World Cup finals beginning on June 11th.
However, although many clubs would hope to complete their season with promotion to the Premier League, others will be concerned with simply surviving the 2026-27 season. With three clubs set to be relegated at the conclusion of the season, here’s our rating of eight clubs that may need to look over their own shoulders.
8 Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers had reason to be optimistic heading into the start of last season after finishing sixth in the Championship in 2024-25. But things didn’t go quite as planned. They failed not get above 18th in the table after the middle of September, and head coach Valerien Ismael was fired at the start of February, with the team in relegation danger.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill was brought in to replace him under the somewhat unusual condition that he be permitted to continue managing his national side until the end of the season. O’Neill had one job: maintain Rovers in the Championship, which he did, but only by five points, with three away victories over Millwall, Birmingham City, and Sheffield United enough to ensure their status for another season.
O’Neill left the club at the end of the season, citing a potential conflict of interest, and has since signed a long-term contract with Northern Ireland, though he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to dual management. Slaven Bilic was heavily connected with the Blackburn job, but he reportedly turned it down after conversations, and Rovers are keeping their other targets under wraps.
With uncertainty over who will be their next manager, the team finishing only two places above the relegation zone last season, and long-standing fan dissatisfaction with the club’s owners, Blackburn Rovers may face another challenging season in 2026-27.
7 Portsmouth
Despite finishing 18th in the Championship at the end of last season, Portsmouth’s manager, John Mousinho, is a wanted man. He had been associated to the vacant role at Bristol City.
Despite the fact that Bristol City went elsewhere for a new head coach, the popular Mousinho may still be somewhere by the start of next season. There have been speculations that Stoke City are interested in Mousinho, with manager Mark Robins under fire after leading them to 17th place in the table at the end of 2025-26.
Mousinho hasn’t gone anywhere yet, and Pompey fans on social media are confident that he won’t be tempted by what they see as a “sideways move,” but with the transfer window not opening until June 15th, the situation at Fratton Park remains uncertain, and there could be big changes before the start of 2026-27.
Whether he stays or not, Portsmouth will be looking to maintain the momentum they gained in the later stages of last season, when they lost only one of their last eight games.
6 Queens Park Rangers
Few Championship clubs were as unexpected as Queens Park Rangers during the 2025-26 season. This is, after all, the club that responded to a 7-1 loss at Coventry City in August by going six games unbeaten in the Championship. Rangers finished 15th in the Championship for the second season in a row, albeit it was concerning that they did so with four consecutive defeats.
Rumours circulated a few weeks ago that Julien Stephan was set to leave the club at the end of the season, amid reports that he was of interest to several unnamed Ligue Un sides, but he was quick to dismiss those rumours, and, with June quickly approaching, it now appears increasingly likely that he will remain with the club for the start of next season.
If he decides to stay, his top task this summer could be the Rangers defence. With 73 goals conceded in 46 matches, they were the division’s second-leakiest team, trailing only Sheffield Wednesday. QPR finished the season 15 points short of a play-off spot, and strengthening their backline will be crucial if they are to improve on a record that has only seen them finish above mid-table twice in the last eleven years.
5 Bolton Wanderers
It was a long time coming. Three second-half goals sealed Bolton Wanderers’ 4-1 victory against Stockport County in the League One play-off final, marking their return to the second division after a seven-year hiatus during which they dipped as low as League Two due to financial difficulties.
Bolton has 11 players who will be out of contract at the end of the season, including Amario Cozier-Duberry and Mason Burstow, who they will be desperate to keep. Cozier-Duberry has been on a season-long loan from Brighton and has won rave praise for a succession of excellent performances, including eight goals and 10 assists in 34 League appearances, while Burstow finished the season as the club’s joint-highest goalscorer with Sam Dalby.
However, seven years is a long time to be away from this league, given Bolton’s fifth-place performance in League One towards the end of 2025-26 raises concerns about their ability to handle the step-up.
4 Preston North End
Preston North End were in fourth place in the table at the start of January, pushing hard for a play-off spot, only for the wheels to come off their challenge in the final weeks of the season. By the end of the season, they were in 14th place, and their dreams of returning to English football’s top flight for the first time since 1961 were faded.
Preston, like Queens Park Rangers, have been in the Championship for years without making the playoffs, and one of their biggest talking points this summer could be Amr Zedan’s slow-motion takeover. A sale of the club has been discussed for quite some time, but it has been claimed that the Saudi investor is close to reaching a deal with the club, which might lead to new investment before the end of the summer transfer window.
The Lancashire Post, a local newspaper, has stated that “time is of the essence” in terms of completing this transaction, with journalist George Hodgson writing: “The management team has stressed the need for additional investment, and it is critical Preston have a strong summer transfer window.” It goes without saying that increased resources would improve the odds of success, albeit PNE would still have to adhere to the new squad cost ratio criteria.” Without that clean sweep, Preston could face another difficult season in 2026-27.
3 Cardiff City
One of the challenges of working with a young and clearly bright boss is that success will pique the curiosity of others at precisely the wrong time.
When Cardiff City was demoted from the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 season, they faced a crossroads. However, as much as he is despised, club owner Vincent Chan appears to have pulled off a coup in recruiting and, as of this writing, retaining Brian Barry-Murphy.
Barry-Murphy is well regarded in the game, and he has been linked with the vacant management role at Burnley. However, Burnley has also been connected with former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard, although there has been no movement.
One unexpected departure this summer is midfielder Ryan Wintle, who finished last season as the club’s Player and Players’ Player of the Year. Wintle is departing Cardiff City Stadium after five years with the club, which he described as “a decision that was completely out of my control.”
It’s rarely easy for a freshly promoted team to navigate a division, and after leading the table from the beginning of December until the end of February, finishing 12 points behind winners Lincoln City was disappointing. However, the highly regarded young manager remains with Cardiff City for the time being, which could prove to be significant.
2 Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic was expected to have a difficult season in 2025-26 after being promoted from League One via the play-offs at the end of 2024-25, and so it proved, despite a great start that placed them in a play-off spot by the first week of November. The Addicks finished the season in 19th position in the table, with only one win in their last nine league games, which was cause for concern heading into the summer break.
So far, the summer has been somewhat sticky. In the January transfer window, the club signed striker Lyndon Dykes on a short-term contract from Birmingham, and he contributed two goals and three assists in the second half of the season, but Millwall and Leicester City are reportedly interested in him. Charlton fans are unlikely to hear much about it for the next few weeks, since Dykes has been named to Scotland’s World Cup team.
Given Charlton Athletic’s struggles in the final weeks of the season, manager Nathan Jones will need a solid start to 2026-27, otherwise his job could be jeopardised by the autumn, if not sooner.
1 Lincoln City
Lincoln City were the biggest surprise of the whole EFL during the 2025-26 season, scoring an astonishing 103 points in League One and finishing 12 points ahead of second-placed Cardiff City and 26 points ahead of third-place Stockport County. Furthermore, this came out of nowhere, since they finished the previous season in 11th position in the rankings.
However, the enormity of the challenge ahead of them is enormous, with Michael Skubala departing for Bristol City and consistency being the Imps’ path forward, with Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw replacing him. The Imps have been in the EFL since 1892, but they have only played at this level for twelve years in the last century, and not at all since 1960-61.
Winning the League One title in a row last season was a fantastic accomplishment, but the Championship can be a brutal environment, and they will need to work extremely hard to stay above the relegation zone following a rocky start to the summer.
However, if they can carry their form from one season to the next, they have a good chance. Lincoln finished the 2025-26 season unbeaten in their last 29 games, dating back to a 3-2 setback against Wycombe Wanderers on November 22nd. Furthermore, they only dropped twelve points in 29 games, including six draws.
Next season will be a tremendous test, but if form can be carried over from season to season, they may still be able to compete. It’s hard to believe that next season marks the tenth anniversary of them becoming the first non-league club to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals in over a century.
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