We can’t wait for the new Championship season to begin, and to get you fully prepared for the 2025/26 campaign we’ve picked out five players that will set the league alight next term.
Obviously, it’s easy to talk about the best players in the Championship and what they can do, but we know all about the likes of Gustavo Hamer and Jack Rudoni already.
Instead, we’re more keen to discuss the kinds of players who have gone under the radar at their current clubs, or who have already shown their talents in other divisions and are now ready to step up in the Championship.
As we await the Championship fixture lists, it’s time to look ahead to five players we think will explode in the coming season.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Five players to watch in the Championship next season
Mihailo Ivanovic – Millwall
With 12 goals to his name for Millwall in 2024/25, it’s not like Mihailo Ivanovic is a big secret, and yet he’s still found himself barely mentioned as one of the best strikers in the division.
Wolves are reportedly interested in Ivanovic, but are unlikely to be able to meet the Lions’ valuation of the Serbian forward.
Instead, we expect to see Ivanovic build on his impressive first season in England and hit 20+ goals in 2025/26. In doing so, he can also help Millwall go one step further and land a play-off spot next season, while also bagging himself the Championship Golden Boot.
Charlie Kelman – QPR
During his loan spell at Leyton Orient in 2024/25, Charlie Kelman was the top scorer in League One and very nearly helped get his temporary team promoted.
He now returns to QPR as a player ready to shine in the Championship, and if Marti Cifuentes (or whoever replaces him at Loftus Road) has any sense, they’ll put the USA striker front and centre for the coming campaign.
Kelman is a forward who can score all kinds of goals, has an exceptional work rate, and a high level of footballing intelligence. Make no mistake, he will be a nightmare for Championship defences next season.
Paik Seung-ho – Birmingham City
Speaking of League One, the team to watch next term will be Birmingham City, who return to the second tier with a very specific mission; to get promoted immediately and get back to the Premier League.
It’s easy to point to Jay Stansfield as a key figure in those ambitions, but the man making it all tick without enough credit is Paik Seung-ho. The South Korean is the beating heart of the Birmingham midfield, and he showed last season that he’s way better than League One level.
Paik Seung-ho is dreaming of promotion already, and if Birmingham are to achieve the back-to-back, he will be a vital part of their success.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Jack Clarke – Ipswich Town
This is a lad who has been here and done it before, but Jack Clarke returns to the Championship needing to prove himself once more.
After his impressive stint with Sunderland, Clarke jumped ship and joined Ipswich Town in the Premier League, but things didn’t work out for him there.
A lack of game time and consistency had Clarke looking like a shadow of his former self, but we know what he can do at this level, and he simply has to find that form once more.
Ipswich Town have been backed for glory in 2025/26, and we’ve a feeling Jack Clarke can spearhead their promotion push next season as he regains confidence and gets the chance for a bit of a fresh start.
Max Cleworth – Wrexham
Anyone who’s been following the Wrexham story over the last few years will know all about Max Cleworth already. For those who don’t know, he’s a defender who came through the Red Dragons’ academy to become one of their key men. He was even crowned their player of the year in League One.
Calm on the ball, strong in the tackle, and with a brilliant reading of the game, Cleworth is set for huge things in the future. He legitimately could and should end up playing in the Premier League, but we’ll just have to see whether that happens with or without Wrexham.