The EFL Championship is a hotbed of rising stars and we’ve identified players from the likes of Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Norwich City who are ready for a Premier League move.
Premier League clubs often like to dip into the Championship market and grab themselves a bargain when they can and this summer, there are plenty of quality EFL players to pick from.
Here are 10 Championship players ready for a Premier League move in our opinion.
Note: for the purposes of this article, we haven’t included any players from the newly relegated clubs.
Hayden Hackney
Having been heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Everton and West Ham, a Premier League move seems inevitable for Hackney at this stage.
The Middlesbrough midfield maestro has been developing nicely over the last three seasons, but now looks ready for a fresh challenge.
During 2024-25, the 23-year-old made more progressive passes than any other player in England’s top four leagues.
He’s also a handy player when out of possession, having won an impressive 93 tackles in the Championship last season.
Given his age, lofty potential and presence in England’s victorious Under-21 squad, it’s no surprise that several Premier League clubs are now sniffing around the Middlesbrough star.
Josh Sargent
Had Sargent not got injured last season, he’d have easily scored over 20 goals. The 25-year-old averaged a goal contribution every 125.4 minutes for a Norwich side who finished in the bottom half.
While Premier League fans have seen Sargent in the top division before, his game has improved significantly since then.
The United States international is now a much more rounded forward and he’s become more clinical over the last three years too.
Following his eye-catching year, the likes of Burnley and Leeds United have been sniffing around of late.
Michael Cooper
James Trafford, righty, received plenty of plaudits for keeping 29 clean sheets last season, but Cooper was arguably just as impressive.
The Sheffield United shot-stopper made many world-class saves throughout the campaign and he faced significantly more shots than Trafford.
Following his impressive year, Everton have been linked with the 25-year-old, but Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie thinks that he’d be better off staying put.
“I know Everton are trying to take Cooper, but you sit and wonder whether he is going to play if he goes to Everton?” Hendrie told Football League World.
“You would think another season at Sheffield United, given what they did last season, and the potential of them possibly challenging for promotion again, I would be sitting tight thinking I want to play games.”
Gustavo Hamer
Speaking of Sheffield United, Hamer is another player who oozes Premier League quality.
It was impressive in itself that the Blades managed to keep him last season, but we’d be amazed if the 28-year-old is still playing Championship football next season.
A wizard with the ball at his feet, Hamer is definitely good enough to make the step up.
During his last season in the Premier League, he produced a respectable 10 goal contributions for a Sheffield United side who never stood a chance of survival.
In the right set-up, he’d be an excellent asset in the Premier League.
Imran Louza
Technically, the Watford midfielder is one of the best players in the Championship right now.
He ended the 2024-25 campaign in superb form and he clearly thinks that he’s capable of playing at a higher level.
According to reports, the 26-year-old has handed in a transfer request as he’s ready for a fresh challenge elsewhere.
Watford are trying to convince him to stay, but if any Premier League sides come knocking, it usually only ends one way.
Rav van den Berg
His brother, Sepp, is already playing in the Premier League for Brentford and Rav looks like he’s ready to take that next step in his career.
Since joining Middlesbrough in 2023, it soon became clear that they had a top prospect on their hands.
The 21-year-old has continued to impress over the last two years and is now being heavily linked with moves to Crystal Palace and Brentford. Watch this space.
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Japhet Tanganga
If Premier League clubs are looking for a bargain this summer, look no further than Tanganga.
The former Tottenham defender has been developing nicely with Millwall over the past couple of years and looks ready to make the jump back to Premier League football.
According to reports, the 26-year-old has a £1.2million release clause, which can only be triggered by Premier League clubs. In the modern market, a player like Tanganga for that price is an absolute steal.
Jack Rudoni
Rudoni won Coventry’s player of the year award after an eye-catching campaign that saw him score 10 goals and provide 12 assists.
Earlier this year, Newcastle were linked with the 24-year-old, although their interest seems to have cooled in recent months.
Regardless of that, he’s someone that we could see playing in the Premier League in the next year or two.
Torbjorn Heggem
Standing at 6ft 6in, Heggem is one of the most imposing defenders in the league. He won 107 aerial duels last season and looks composed enough to make it at a Premier League side.
Bologna were recently linked with the 26-year-old and we wouldn’t be surprised if a few Premier League clubs are monitoring his situation.
Tom Fellows
Fellows provided 14 assists in the Championship last season and averaged a goal contribution every 160 minutes.
With that sort of record, it’s no surprise that Everton have been heavily linked with the West Brom youngster in recent weeks.
Given his current ability and potential, we’d be shocked if he’s not playing Premier League football in the next two years.