Championship 2025-26: Contenders, Hopefuls And Youngsters To Watch

This week nan tussle betwixt Birmingham City and Ipswich Town, who meet successful nan curtain-raiser connected Friday, to motion Chuba Akpom – nan runaway apical scorer successful nan section pinch Middlesbrough 3 years agone (Viktor Gyökeres was runner-up) – was tantamount to some sides taking it successful turns to flex their muscles. Despite a sole Premier League triumph this almanac year, Ipswich were relegated pinch much decorum than Leicester City and Southampton and Kieran McKenna’s broadside are equipped to onslaught nan 2nd tier, moreover if Omari Hutchinson joins Liam Delap successful departing.

The 40-year-old Ashley Young, who worked pinch McKenna astatine Manchester United, looks a smart pickup and consistency tin thief Ipswich to flourish. Birmingham, meanwhile, are aiming to repetition a feat past achieved by Ipswich successful winning successive promotions and person not been awkward successful reinforcing Chris Davies’s squad, but location is besides momentum from a record-breaking season. Leicester are astatine consequence of a points conclusion but their caller caput coach, Martí Cifuentes, took 32 players connected nan pre-season circuit to Austria and has nan devices to overpower opponents. The scenery of his squad will astir apt look different adjacent period – nan aforesaid applies astatine Southampton wherever a flurry of departures are expected – but, dissimilar past season, neither are apt to beryllium caught short. For Will Still, nan returning Gavin Bazunu and Shea Charles could beryllium cardinal pillars astatine Saints.

Eleven teams person changed managers since nan extremity of past play – 15 since nan move of nan twelvemonth – but fewer transitions were arsenic messy arsenic Rúben Selles replacing Chris Wilder astatine Sheffield United, playoff finalists past season. Selles, who has reunited pinch Louie Barry, pinch whom he worked astatine Hull City past season, has nan bones of a beardown squad but will request to deed nan crushed moving to triumph complete nan Bramall Lane faithful. One of those coaches who arrived midway done past run will fancy his chances of kicking on: Frank Lampard revived Coventry City, driving them into nan playoffs. The presence of nan goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, connected indebtedness from Brighton, addresses a problem position, though they are short of a prolific goalscorer – nan Gyökeres sell-on interest whitethorn help.

Playoff hopefuls

Millwall felt an uplift aft Alex Neil was appointed past December and his squad are primed to spell adjacent again aft finishing eighth past season, pinch Alfie Doughty their standout summertime signing. Derby County could beryllium acheronian horses nether John Eustace, who has proven his expertise arsenic a shrewd head astatine this level and plans to fuse acquisition pinch youth; Rhian Brewster, 25, could beryllium a revelation if he tin rediscover his goalscoring touch aft joining connected a free. Whether West Bromwich Albion operation it nether Ryan Mason, arsenic he originates his first imperishable occupation arsenic a No 1, whitethorn hinge connected their marquee summertime signing Aune Heggebø firing aft arriving from Brann.

Aune Heggebø gets stuck successful during West Bromwich Albion’s pre-season friends astatine Blackpool. Photograph: Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC/Getty Images

After an underwhelming season, Norwich City have sold their apical scorer Borja Sainz to Porto, while Josh Sargent – arguably nan champion striker successful nan section past word – is besides poised to depart. Norwich had a soft centre past play and person revamped things pinch Liam Manning joining arsenic caput coach and 11 signings, including nan 21-year-old striker Jovon Makama from Lincoln and nan imposing Serbia midfielder Mirko Topic. This is Middlesbrough’s ninth successive play successful nan section and Steve Gibson has turned to Rob Edwards successful hunt of promotion. Stoke City, too, person been stuck successful nan 2nd tier – and fortunate to debar dropping into nan 3rd – but Mark Robins has strengthened pinch protect additions Aaron Cresswell and Maksym Talovierov, who impressed for Plymouth aft signing successful January.

Swansea City’s highest-profile summertime presence has been Snoop Dogg, joining Luka Modric arsenic a number shareholder, but Alan Sheehan is aiming to build connected nan committedness shown aft taking nan reins successful February, initially connected an interim basis. Swansea person made immoderate sensible additions including Ethan Galbraith, who excelled for Leyton Orient, but astir apt request different striker unless Bobby Wales – calved successful Dublin, signed from nan Scottish nine Kilmarnock and now playing successful England’s 2nd tier – proves a hit. Bristol City squeezed into sixth connected nan last time past play and while Emil Riis looks an upgrade connected Nahki Wells, they do not look stronger nether Gerhard Struber, past seen successful this section successful tears aft staving disconnected relegation down closed doors pinch Barnsley successful 2020. John Swift has signed for hometown nine Portsmouth, who tin build connected 16th nether nan awesome John Mousinho. Charlton and Wrexham have been fierce successful nan marketplace aft promotion and person origin to look up, towards mid-table, alternatively than down; for nan latter, Danny Ward, Conor Coady, Lewis O’Brien and Kieffer Moore correspond a promising spine.

Relegation candidates

After a summertime exodus it is complete to Henrik Pedersen, Danny Röhl’s erstwhile assistant, to prime up nan pieces astatine Sheffield Wednesday, a nine shrouded successful uncertainty amid further turbulence nether Dejphon Chansiri. There is situation astir each area astatine Hillsborough, wherever nan North Stand has been closed because of structural concerns, and nan remaining players spent overmuch of pre-season training connected an artificial transportation amid delays astatine their Middlewood Road training base.

Sheffield Wednesday’s off-field woes person clouded their pre-season preparations pinch nan North Stand (top of pic) closed. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

The longstanding captain, Barry Bannan, has agreed to enactment but speech from his committedness positives person been difficult to travel by. Wednesday fans are united, however, pinch nan supporters’ spot readying a protestation astatine Leicester connected Sunday, their opening game, wherever nan squad will beryllium backed by a sold-out distant end. Hull, for illustration Wednesday, are prohibited from spending fees connected players until January 2027 – some clubs are appealing against that ruling – and aft staying up connected extremity quality things look ominous for nan the lowest scorers of past season; Sergej Jakirovic is nan 5th managerial prosecute since Acun Ilicali took ownership 3 years ago.

Blackburn Rovers missed retired connected nan playoffs connected nan last time past play but were punching supra their weight and look ray connected value aft Callum Brittain joined Boro. Oxford United, who spent pre-season successful Indonesia, wherever Gary Rowett rode a exemplary lion successful statement pinch section tradition, and Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston look an uphill task, but some are canny operators. Stability has been elusive astatine QPR and Watford – some of whom person caller managers without EFL acquisition successful Julian Stéphan and Paulo Pezzolano respectively – and could find nan going tough.

Three youngsters to watch

Jeremy Monga, Leicester, 16 One of fewer greenish shoots from past season, nan England Under-16 winger became nan second-youngest subordinate successful Premier League history (behind Ethan Nwaneri) erstwhile he made his debut aged 15 years and 271 days successful April; gambling regulations meant he wore a blank garment because Leicester’s location kit was sponsored by a cryptocurrency platform. Tracked by elite clubs crossed Europe, but has agreed to motion a master statement erstwhile he turns 17 adjacent July.

The 16-year-old Jeremy Monga impressed for nan Foxes past play and has been tracked by elite clubs crossed Europe. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock

Mihailo Ivanovic, Millwall, 20 The Serbia striker is 1 of nan astir breathtaking talents successful nan section and will softly fancy his chances of nan aureate footwear – if he stays put. Ivanovic, who signed from Vojvodina connected deadline time past summer, scored 12 convention goals past play – 10 since nan move of nan twelvemonth – including a sumptuous trivela astatine Luton. The guardant sewage a chipped walk nether his spell pinch his near shoulder, controlled nan shot pinch his correct footwear and past flung a nonchalant onslaught into nan acold corner.

Jay Robinson, Southampton, 18 Last play it was Tyler Dibling fixed a chance to impressment aft lighting up pre-season and now it could beryllium nan move of different attacking midfielder. Robinson, for illustration Dibling, represented nan under-21s astatine 15. The erstwhile QPR youngster, first elevated to nan first squad by Russell Martin, has been a fixture successful friendlies this summertime and location is simply a consciousness that a regular spot awaits. He started nan last crippled of past play aft his debut successful April, nan period he signed a caller four-year contract.