The Championship has shrugged off its status as an ordinary second tier in recent years and announced itself as one of Europe’s most prolific hotbeds of talent.
Most of England’s senior internationals nowadays have had recent experience of playing in the EFL and the best clubs in the land have caught onto the talent currently playing outside the Premier League.
Who should be on the radars of the top sides? Which players are ready to make the step up? 90min has some suggestions.
To make matters more interesting, we’re limiting entries to one per club, otherwise this list would be full of players from the runaway promotion chasers who have likely already played in the Premier League. And that wouldn’t be fun.
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What the hell Kyle Walker-Peters is doing in the Championship is anyone’s guess. He was playing for England only 12 months ago and certainly has the quality to be strutting his stuff in Europe.
If Southampton don’t achieve promotion back to the Premier League, then some of the division’s best clubs are certain to come calling. A return to boyhood club Tottenham could be on the cards if they shift Emerson Royal.
With 10 goals and 12 assists so far this season, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall must be a frontrunner for the EFL’s various end-of-season awards.
Leicester are almost certain to be promoted – whether automatically or worryingly via the play-offs – but that might not be enough to keep hold of the 25-year-old, who has already been sounded out by Premier League sides competing in Europe.
Have you seen the Jaden Philogene goal? You must have seen the Jaden Philogene goal. If you have not, please seek out the Jaden Philogene goal.
The two-footed tricky winger should be a candidate for every Premier League side in need of that profile this summer, which is quite a fair few of them. He may even end up back at former club Aston Villa given they have a £15m buy-back clause..
Having not quite made the grade at Tottenham following his move from Leeds, Jack Clarke has reestablished himself as one of the Championship’s best wingers up at Sunderland.
Champions League side Lazio were in for him during the January window and he’ll be filling up gossip columns in the coming months unless Sunderland pull off a miraculous promotion charge.
Like Clarke, 23-year-old forward Morgan Whittaker was also a target for Lazio in the winter, but he ended up staying at Home Park with Plymouth and has captained them in some games since.
During his breakthrough days at Derby, Whittaker played both with and under Wayne Rooney. Which is incredibly weird to think about.
Goodness me, 17-year-old Archie Gray is a phenomenal talent.
The third-generation Leeds star completely dominated Chelsea’s £220m midfield during last week’s unfortunate FA Cup loss at Stamford Bridge. He’s ready for the big time now.
Every full-back wants to play in midfield these days. They love tucking inside and creating overloads in order to dominate possession. Whatever happened to bombing down the outside and getting chalk on your boots?
Milan van Ewijk, now is your time to shine.
No player in the Championship has scored more goals than Sammie Szmodics so far this season, with the Irishman leading the way with 19 – none from the penalty spot.
He might not be good enough to be a starter for a side above mid-table in the Premier League, but he clearly has an eye for goal and could at least do a job from the bench.
Quick, two-footed, able on playing both sides and with a fine eye for goal. Norwich should be thankful no one else has been able to get their hands on Jonathan Rowe sooner.
Lazio looked at him earlier this season. Because of course they did, the big Championship connoisseurs.
