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The EFL Championship is renowned for being one of the toughest leagues in the world, and while its overall quality pales in comparison to the Premier League, England’s second tier is often used as a springboard for the top flight’s stars of the future.
Thus far, 2019-20 has been no different, as plenty of players have starred in the Championship since the beginning of the season, and there can be no doubt that in the near future – perhaps even next season – they’ll be starring in the Premier League, either due to their side being promoted or due to making a big move in the summer.
Here are 5 EFL Championship players who are ready to set the Premier League on fire.
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#1 Jarrod Bowen (Hull City)
Hull City’s flying attacker Jarrod Bowen has been linked with plenty of Premier League clubs in recent months, including Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, and it’s easy to see why. The 23-year old was a prolific goalscorer for the Tigers last season – netting 22 goals in his 46 league appearances – and he’s continued where he left off during this campaign, as he’s currently on 16 goals in 28 games, putting him third in the league’s goalscoring chart behind Ollie Watkins and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The most intriguing thing about Bowen is that he’s not an out-and-out striker like those afore-mentioned players. In more than half of his games this season, he’s been deployed as a right-winger, which explains why he also has 6 assists to his name – meaning he’s been involved in more goals than any other player in the Championship.
Bowen’s best attribute appears to be his speed; he’s unbelievably quick and has tight ball control, allowing him to dribble down the right side of the pitch and constantly scare opposition defenders. He’s even been compared to Dutch legend Arjen Robben for his ability to basically telegraph his key move – cutting inside onto his left foot to shoot on goal – but be able to do it anyway.
Would the Hull man’s skills translate to the Premier League? It’s hard to tell as he does have a worrying tendency to allow defenders to dispossess him at times, but it’s hard to argue with his stats and it’s clear that after 3 seasons doing damage in the Championship, he needs a step up.
#2 Eberechi Eze (QPR)
QPR might only occupy a mid-table spot in the Championship right now (14th place), but in the form of 21-year old midfielder Eberechi Eze, they have a player as good as any other in England’s second tier. Eze has been absolutely fantastic thus far this season, and it’s hard to imagine that the England U-21 international will spend another campaign outside of the Premier League after his exploits in 2019-20.
The youngster – who is eligible to play for both England and Nigeria due to his family heritage – broke through into QPR’s first team last season, making 37 starts, but he’s really burst onto the scene as a key player for the London club in recent months, earning 8 Man of the Match awards from WhoScored.com – more than any other player at the club.
A creative midfielder, Eze has a fantastic range of passing and is highly accurate too, averaging a pass completion rate of 86% this season. His speed and dribbling ability make him a handful for any defender, and this season, in particular, he’s been getting into more dangerous positions on the pitch – which would explain why he’s registered 10 goals and 6 assists thus far, more than doubling his output from last season.
A good comparison for Eze would be James Maddison, who produced some extraordinary performances at Norwich before his move to Leicester City last summer. There will naturally be some question marks over how well the youngster would make the step up in competition, given he wouldn’t be allowed as much room or time on the ball in the Premier League, but judging by what he’s produced thus far, he’d be a risk worth taking for any top-flight club.
#3 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)
The most proven player on this list, it’s a miracle that Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic remains with Fulham, given that sides like Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Manchester United have all been desperately looking for new goalscoring options during the current transfer window. Still only 25 years old, Mitrovic is a proven goalscorer at both club and international level and has been for some time.
The Serbian hitman first entered the consciousness of Premier League fans when he signed with Newcastle in the summer of 2015, and while it’s true that his seasons in the top flight for the Magpies were hardly prolific – 10 goals across 40 appearances – it’s worth remembering that he was much younger and more raw at that stage.
Now, however, Mitrovic is probably in his prime, and thus far he’s enjoying his best season to date. He’s currently at the top of the Championship’s goalscoring charts with 18 in 26 appearances, and more than any other player, is key to the Cottagers’ hopes of a Premier League return just one season after their relegation.
A classic target-man, Mitrovic is powerful, able to bully opposing defenders, and he’s absolutely lethal in the air. But he’s also got a good touch for a big man, is more than willing to get involved in team play and can hold the ball up excellently with his back to goal. It seems a no-brainer that he’ll be back in the Premier League next season – whether that’s with Fulham or another side – and surely this time he’ll see proper top-flight success.
#4 Grady Diangana (West Bromwich Albion)
Before 21-year old attacker Grady Diangana picked up an injury playing for league leaders West Bromwich Albion in this week’s match against Stoke City, it looked like he’d be heading into the Premier League quicker than anyone had thought. Diangana is at the Hawthorns on loan from West Ham, and prior to the injury, the word was that the Hammers were about to recall him to the London Stadium.
Now though, it appears that he’ll be remaining with the Baggies for the rest of 2019-20 – and that’s something that probably has fans of the club giving a sigh of relief. The England U-21 international has been fantastic for the Midlands side thus far this season, scoring 5 goals and registering 5 assists in his 21 matches and displaying form that brings into question why West Ham sent him out in the first place.
A tremendous talent on the ball, Diangana averages 2.3 successful dribbles per game, and is also excellent when it comes to finding a way through an opposing defence; in his 21 games, he’s completed an impressive 28 key passes, contributing to a lot of the Baggies’ success.
Largely deployed as a left-sided attacking midfielder by West Brom, perhaps the best thing about Diangana is his versatility; he’s able to play practically anywhere across the front line and appears to be a threat no matter where he pops up. Contracted at West Ham until 2025, it seems clear that he’ll be starring for the Hammers in the Premier League next season – and could well help West Brom to promotion before 2019-20 is out.
#5 Ollie Watkins (Brentford)
The Championship’s joint-top scorer with 18 goals in 28 games, Ollie Watkins has helped Brentford to a surprising 4th position in the league table, and if the Bees don’t end up being promoted into the Premier League in what would be quite an upset, it seems likely that a top-flight side will take the risk on him in the summer due to his tremendous form.
The 24-year old initially broke through at Exeter City’s academy and played with the League Two side for 2 full seasons before moving to Brentford in 2017-18. Initially known as more of an attacking midfielder or a winger – he names Thierry Henry as his sporting idol – Watkins was moved into a centre-forward position this at the start of this season, and he’s thrived hugely.
Like his hero Henry, the forward appears to have the knack of arriving on goal in the right place at just the right time, and while he’s clearly a natural finisher with both feet and also with his head, plenty of his goals have been poacher’s efforts, too.
While his style of play isn’t too similar, there are definitely comparisons that can be made between Watkins’ goals and those of Tammy Abraham during his stints in the Championship – and we all know how well he’s done in the Premier League. Can the Brentford striker make the step up? It’s surely worth seeing him try.
