Football League World has selected the top ten midfielders currently competing in the EFL Championship, with some notable names left off the list.
The EFL Championship standings is taking shape following the close of the January transfer window, with teams deciding on their last targets for the later stages of the season.
The second tier is as competitive as ever, with practically everything still up for grabs; more than two-thirds of the league will be hoping to break into the top six by May.
Numerous exceptional players have graced the Championship throughout the years before moving on to play at a far higher level, and the trend appears to be continuing with an incredibly strong crop of players representing teams across the league.
The midfield area, in particular, is arguably the most important and versatile position on the field. Players that operate as destroyers, playmakers, offensive midfielders, and box-to-box midfielders all play in the middle of the pitch, and the Championship has a diverse skill set.
Having said that, Football League World attempted to rank the top ten midfielders currently playing in the Championship, although some huge names were left out.
10 Nicolas Madsen
Nicolas Madsen of Queens Park Rangers, one of, if not the most underrated midfielders in the division, has regularly been one of the R’s best players this season.
The Dane has been a constant in the heart of Julien Stephan’s side this season, having pushed his game to the next level under the French manager after joining from Belgian side Westerlo in the summer of 2024.
Madsen’s low placement on our list hints at the tremendous level of competition that awaits him; yet, if the 25-year-old continues to play as he does, teams from all over the continent will be sniffing about.
9 Aidan Morris
Aidan Morris, one side of Middlesbrough’s superb midfield this season, has been exceptional when fit under both Rob Edwards and now Kim Hellberg.
Morris, who was signed from MLS side Columbus Crew in the summer of 2024 for a reported amount of $4 million (£3.14 million), has developed as an important role in Boro’s midfield with Hayden Hackney (more on him below).
The 24-year-old’s defensive work rate and ball-playing skill have been vital components of Boro’s style of play under Hellberg, as the Teesside club aims for a long-awaited Premier League return, with Morris playing a crucial role.
8 Azor Matusiwa
Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town team had a major rebuild in the middle of the park this summer, with Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, and Kalvin Phillips departing and several replacements sought.
According to L’Equipe, Ipswich agreed to pay €11.5 million (£9.9 million) plus add-ons for Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa from French club Rennes this summer, and his performances at Portman Road have demonstrated why he demanded such a high price.
Matusiwa has been one of the first names on the team sheet this season, virtually often partnering Jack Taylor, Jens Cajuste, or Dan Neil.
If Ipswich make an immediate return to the top flight this season, the Dutchman will have played a key role, as he is one of the division’s greatest defensive midfielders.
7 Callum O’Hare
Callum O’Hare, arguably Sheffield United’s star performer in what has been a disastrous season at Bramall Lane, has been one of the division’s most consistent attacking midfielders since making his second-tier debut with Coventry City in 2020.
The Aston Villa youth academy graduate spent five seasons at the CBS Arena before joining Bramall Lane in 2024 after his contract expired, and he has proved to be a nuisance for Championship defenders since his departure.
Under Chris Wilder, O’Hare has always been one of the first names on the South Yorkshire squad sheet, and his contribution to the side both in and out of possession cannot be overstated.
6 Flynn Downes
Southampton’s fortunes since relegation haven’t been as promising, with Will Still in command for only 16 games before being fired and replaced by Tonda Eckert, the club’s Under-21 manager.
The Saints’ form has been patchy under Eckert, but since taking over, he has made former Swansea City and West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes a key player in the middle of the park with Caspar Jander.
Downes, who joined Southampton for a reported £15 million in the summer of 2024 following a successful loan, has been a victim of the Saints’ poor form over the last 18 months, but only a fool would deny the 27-year-old’s undeniable talent, and it would not be surprising if the Englishman returns to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
5 Gustavo Hamer
Gustavo Hamer has been one of the division’s top midfield players for the previous six and a half years, having been signed from Dutch side PEC Zwolle by Mark Robins’ Coventry City in the summer of 2020 before joining current club Sheffield United for £15 million in August 2023.
The Brazilian-born Dutchman has made just under 200 Championship appearances, averaging one direct goal every three games, as well as 36 Premier League outings.
Under Chris Wilder this season, Hamer has played a major chunk of his game on the left side, demonstrating his versatility, and while he hasn’t been as prolific as he is capable of this season, he is still one of the division’s finest at 28 years old.
4 Marcelino Nunez
Marcelino Nunez made the contentious move from Norwich City to Ipswich Town this summer for £10 million, causing quite a stir among Canaries fans.
Unfortunately for them, the Chilean has been outstanding since his transfer south to Suffolk, serving as the Tractor Boys’ creative hub and a terrific facilitator for both Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke on the flanks.
The only thing missing from Nunez’s game is goals; he is already one of the division’s finest, and if he can start scoring more frequently, he will undoubtedly be playing Premier League games sooner rather than later, whether with Ipswich or elsewhere.
3 Matt Grimes
Matt Grimes and the EFL Championship go hand in hand, with the Englishman approaching 400 appearances in the second division for Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United, Swansea City, and now Coventry City.
Grimes established himself at Swansea as not only one of the division’s top deep midfield players, but also one of the most consistent, missing only four league matches between 2018 and 2025.
Grimes is now at Coventry and captaining the Sky Blues under the direction of former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, and at 30, it appears that it is now or never for him to get into the top flight, a division in which he is more than capable of running games.
2 Imran Louza
Imran Louza, a Moroccan midfielder, has received numerous accolades this season for his outstanding performances in the middle of the pitch at Vicarage Road.
He joined Watford for a cost of £10 million in the summer of 2021, but it is only this season that his skill has shined through and received the respect it deserves.
The 26-year-old is capable of defending, playing accurate passes, dribbling, and scoring, and it appears that he will earn a huge move elsewhere unless he can lead the Hornets back to the Premier League.
1 Hayden Hackney
Hayden Hackney, a Premier League player in waiting, was always going to be at the top of this list.
The Middlesbrough youth product has been by far the finest midfielder, and probably the best player in the division this season, attracting interest from multiple top-flight clubs but opting to return to the Premier League with his boyhood club.
Whatever the outcome, this will be Hackney’s final season in the Championship for quite some time. If he is fails to steer Boro to the top tier, with only one year left on his contract, the Teesside club will almost probably be obliged to cash in on their star player, whom they cannot afford to lose.
Excellent in all areas of the game, Hackney’s performances have contributed significantly to Boro’s success this season, and if they return to the top division next season, a substantial portion of the credit will go to Hackney, the league’s best midfielder.
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