The Championship season has once again lived up to the excitement and drama that typically surrounds happenings in English football’s second tier.
With the season nearing its conclusion, several clubs are still hoping to achieve their short-term goals of promotion to the Premier League, a spot in the post-season lottery of the play-offs, or survival from an unwanted relegation to League One ahead of the 2026/27 season.
In recent years, there has been a greater appreciation for the quality on display in the Championship, whether from a defensive, midfield, or attacking perspective.
Several players who are currently excelling in the Premier League or for the England national team can credit Championship clubs with strengthening their overall development over time, and there are numerous current stars who want to follow a similar route in the coming years.
Similarly, clubs in the second tier have built a reputation for uncovering some excellent talent through their recruitment networks, whether for a large permanent cost, a cheap price, or on loan.
With a significant portion of the season completed, Football League World has identified the eight finest additions made by the division’s 24 clubs.
8 Caleb Taylor – Millwall FC
Starting in eighth is Millwall’s purchase of Caleb Taylor from divisional rivals West Bromwich Albion in the last week of the summer transfer window.
The Lions have a great reputation for signing outstanding centre-backs in recent seasons, and the 23-year-old has undoubtedly followed in the footsteps of Tristan Crama and Japhet Tanganga in that regard, having also replaced the latter, who left for Sheffield United.
Taylor only appeared 12 times for his previous side, despite the fact that many Albion fans wanted to see his indigenous talent used on a regular basis at The Hawthorns.
Millwall supporters, on the other hand, believe his defensive prowess and attacking danger will play an important role in their chase of the Premier League, despite spending only a reported £2.5 million. Taylor has also signed a long-term contract, so there is a good chance the London club will earn handsomely from his talents in the years ahead.
7 Patrick Bamford – Sheffield United
The arrival of Patrick Bamford at Sheffield United was extended to a new 18-month contract in January following the experienced striker’s initial strong performance at Bramall Lane.
It was well-documented that the 32-year-old and Chris Wilder had previously disagreed, but the pair have obviously put that behind them, and Bamford has become a cult figure in S2 for the number of goals he has already scored in less than 20 games.
Although his stint at Leeds United did not end well, the experienced forward’s turnaround in fortunes was shown by the fact that he was approached by Ipswich Town in January, before the Blades were able to extend his contract for another year and a half.
6 Sorba Thomas – Stoke City
Stoke City’s season has been marked by inconsistency, with Mark Robins’ side’s hopes of reaching the play-offs for the first time since being demoted in 2018 dwindling due to important player injuries.
However, one player who has been as constant as possible for the Potters in the early months of his tenure in North Staffordshire is Welsh international winger Sorba Thomas, who was purchased from Huddersfield Town for the astonishing fee of £1.5 million.
The 27-year-old has already provided plenty of eye-catching goals and assists for City, with his total contributions for the season already exceeding 15, and he is still expected to have a significant impact on how the club’s fortunes unfold between now and May 2nd.
If Wales win their play-off campaign, the 23-time international might participate in the FIFA World Cup this summer.
5 Carl Rushworth – Coventry City
Coventry City’s transfer activity this season has been a matter of ‘quality over quantity’ under Frank Lampard, and it has certainly paid off, with the Sky Blues in pole position to end their 25-year Premier League absence.
Despite already having a strong attacking nucleus, the ex-Chelsea and England legend made defensive solidity a top priority in the summer, and Carl Rushworth has certainly supplied that between the posts after signing on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion.
After two prior mixed loan spells in the division with Swansea City (where he impressed) and Hull City, the 24-year-old is already in double figures in terms of clean sheets and has the most goals blocked among the division’s goalkeepers.
He has been so impressive that earlier this season, it was suggested that the Seagulls loanee may have made Thomas Tuchel’s England side as Jordan Pickford’s understudy.
4 Azor Matusiwa – Ipswich Town
Azor Matusiwa, Ipswich Town’s formidable midfield lynchpin, comes in fourth.
While many have praised Kieran McKenna’s creative forces for the pre-season title favourites, it is fair to say that they would not have been able to flourish in such a way if the Dutchman had not been signed from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais on a four-year deal worth a reported £7.8 million.
The Ajax academy graduate’s combativeness in the centre of the park, along with Napoli loanee Jens Cajuste, has been critical to Town’s desire to move the ball up the pitch as quickly as possible, as well as an unrelenting pressing game that can be difficult to break down when the 27-year-old is at his best.
Matusiwa was recently linked with a move to Liverpool, the current Premier League winners, and it’s easy to see why, given his reputation as a top-tier player.
3 Patrick Agyemang – Derby County
Both Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang have been excellent additions to Derby County’s offense this season. However, the £7.3 million USMNT international has already proven to be a handful in his debut Championship season.
After missing the first four games of the season due to injury, the 25-year-old has not looked back since scoring his first goal for the club against Southampton on October 4th. Despite being a muscular centre-forward, Agyemang has given a wide range of finishes and assists for his teammates so far.
Due to his immediate impact, the 12-time international is already attracting interest from Premier League suitors such as Leeds United and Crystal Palace, and it has been reported that the Rams are looking to increase their reported £20 million valuation while hoping he will stay at Pride Park for as long as possible after signing a four-year contract.
2 Leo Scienza – Southampton FC
The runner-up on this list is Southampton’s Brazilian winger, Leo Scienza, who joined from Heidenheim on Deadline Day in the summer window.
While the Saints’ overall form has been up and down this season under Tonda Eckert and his predecessor, Will Still, the same cannot be said for the 27-year-old’s performance levels, which have already seen him contribute a strong double-figure total of goals.
Although he signed a four-year contract with St. Mary’s in the summer, there is growing concern among South Coast supporters that their star player may not be at the club for long, especially if they fail to recover Premier League membership at the first attempt.
1 Oli McBurnie – Hull City
Taking the top slot, however, is Oli McBurnie, whom Hull City signed on a free transfer in August despite stiff competition from his former teams, Sheffield United and Swansea, as well as Ipswich and Birmingham City.
The experienced striker got off to a terrific start for the Tigers, scoring two goals and providing two assists in his first three outings, and hasn’t looked back since, as City remain in the promotion race despite a slew of injury issues and well-documented transfer restrictions.
McBurnie was sidelined for two months between October and December, but he has already scored over 20 goals in all competitions and is on track to surpass his most productive season, when he scored 22 goals and added four assists for the Swans seven years ago.
With the striker also scoring a wide range of goals for the Bosnian, there have been legitimate calls for the 29-year-old to be called up to the Scotland side for the 2018 World Cup.
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