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As players like Wilfried Zaha, Junior Hoilett, Steven N’Zonzi, Jack Butland, Joe Bennet, Adrian Mariappa and many such others have shown – there certainly is a presence of talent in the Npower Championship and the lower leagues of the English League football hierarchy. Inevitably, this transfer window too would see some players making the jump from the lower leagues to the truly global stage of the English Premier League. Here are five of the best picks who can be considered favorites to take the giant leap.
5) Thomas ‘Tom’ Ince
| Name in native country: | Thomas Paul Ince |
| Date of birth: | 30.01.1992 |
| Place of birth: | Stockport |
| Age: | 21 |
| Height: | 1,78 |
| Nationality: | England |
| Position: | Midfield – Left Wing |
| Foot: | left |
| Market value: | 7.500.000 € |
With 14 assists in addition to the 18 goals he scored in the last season for Blackpool in the Championship, there is hardly any surprise that Tom Ince is being courted by several Premier League heavyweights, with Liverpool being the favorites to sign him up due to his past association with the club.
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Thomas Ince started his career at Liverpool and with Brendon Rodgers building a side based on young domestic players all fingers point to the possibility of Thomas Ince playing at Anfield come start of the season. However, the Football League Young Player of the Year has also been linked with newly promoted side Cardiff City. And a stint with Cardiff City where he will be guaranteed first team football at this point in time would add to the player’s development.
However a stumbling block can be Blackpool expectation of ‘ridiculous money’ for the youngster. Thomas’ father Paul Ince who is also the manager of Blackpool has expressed his desire to hold on to the club’s biggest asset although a move away from the championship looks the more possible of the options.
4) Liam Bridcutt
When an icon like Gus Poyet quotes about a 24 old Championship player being ‘good enough to play for Real Madrid’ it certainly speaks of the potential the player carries.
| Name in native country: | Liam Robert Bridcutt |
| Date of birth: | 08.05.1989 |
| Place of birth: | Reading |
| Age: | 24 |
| Height: | 1,75 |
| Nationality: | Scottland |
| Position: | Midfield – Defensive Midfield |
| Foot: | right |
| Market value: | 1.250.000 € |
Having started his youth career at Chelsea, with the superstar first team squad, there was little opportunity for Liam to succeed at the London club. A string of loans to lower league clubs like Yeovil Town, Stockport County was followed by a permanent transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2010. It was here that Liam Bridcutt slowly but surely started making a name for himself.
As a holding midfielder he was voted as Brighton’s Player of the Season for 2011-12 and continued his form into the 2012-13 campaign. He won many plaudits for his man-of-the-match display in the 2-0 F.A Cup win against Newcastle in January of 2013. The scouts who were already keeping tab on the Scottish talent went into overdrive. Playing in a position shielding the back four Bridcutt has not got the media headlines which being a striker guarantees, but his sturdy performances certainly caught the eye of Scotland national manager Gordon Strachan who gave Bridcutt his debut in march this year.
The 24-year-old helped the Seagulls to 4th position in the league, though they missed out on promotion via the playoff final. Bridcutt could now move on to the Premier League anyway, with West Brom and Norwich showing a strong interest in the midfielder, though he will certainly be expensive after his recent rise.
3) Matt Ritchie:
| Name in native country: | Matthew Thomas Ritchie |
| Date of birth: | 10.09.1989 |
| Place of birth: | Gosport |
| Age: | 23 |
| Height: | 1,73 |
| Nationality: | England |
| Position: | Midfield – Left Wing |
| Foot: | left |
| Market value: | 400.000 € |
Having been a part of the Portsmouth UEFA cup squad and played in the Premier League, Matt Ritchie was one of the many young players who suffered due to Portsmouth financial problems. When Portsmouth’s reserve team was disbanded due to financial issues, Ritchie was loaned, first to Dagenham & Redbridge then Notts County and finally to Swindon, who later on made the move permanent. Half way through the 2012-13 season fellow League one side Bournemouth made a move for him and bought his services.
At an age of 23, he already has an experience of 213 league matches (combined) 48 goals and 37 assists – more than a respectable return for a wide player who has been deployed as left back a few times too. Ritchie is no stranger to accolades having picked up the npower League 2 Player of the Year trophy at The Football League Awards as part of the promotion-winning Swindon Town team in 2012 and then was named the npower League 1 Player of the Year at The Football League Awards 2013 for his combined performances for Swindon and Bournemouth.
At Bournemouth, the winger was instrumental in Eddie Howe’s side’s promotion to the npower Championship, scoring three times in 17 appearances. One of Bournemouth’s key promotion winning players, Matt Ritchie, may become subject of a bid from Sunderland, once the transfer window opens again at the start of July. Paolo Di Canio, the Black Cats’ boss, is a keen admirer of Ritchie, having managed the winger during his time as Swindon Town boss and now he is looking to bring his former player to the Stadium of Light.
2) Nathan Redmond
At an age of just 19 years, old faithfuls of the Birmingham club are already hailing Nathan Redmond as the greatest talent since Trevor Francis.
| Name in native country: | Nathan Daniel Jerome Redmond |
| Date of birth: | 06.03.1994 |
| Place of birth: | Birmingham |
| Age: | 19 |
| Height: | 1,73 |
| Nationality: | England |
| Position: | Midfield – Left Midfield |
| Foot: | both |
| Market value: | 2.500.000 € |
In a period of dire uncertainty for Birmingham City, Redmond has been one of the rare rays of lights. The talented 19-year-old winger has arguably been Birmingham’s best player in a difficult couple of seasons in the Championship, showing great flair and ability on the flanks as well as an eye for goal. Redmond also impressed in the recently completed Under-21 European Championships where he was called as a replacement for Wigan’s Callum McManaman.
Already with 86 games for his club and a further 25 for his country at various youth levels, Redmond at such a tender age is an experienced campaigner. A transfer is inevitable as the 19 year old has just 12 months to run on his current deal and the Championship club, still operating within strict financial guidelines, are looking to cash in on one of their few remaining assets.
Birmingham want somewhere around £3m but with just one season left on his current deal it is likely that the fee will be about £1m less than they desire. Fulham, West Brom and Norwich have all been linked with moves for him this summer, and he seems unlikely to stay in the lower leagues for much longer. Latest rumours suggest Swansea to be favorites to sign the player with Birmingham City manager Lee Clark interested in taking defender Kyle Bartley in part-exchange.
1) Jordan Rhodes
When someone scores 36 goals in a season, next season in an higher league scores another 28 goals, he is certainly going to be a name that pops up at regular intervals in the transfer market. It holds true for Jordan Rhodes.
| Name in native country: | Jordan Luke Rhodes |
| Date of birth: | 05.02.1990 |
| Place of birth: | Oldham |
| Age: | 23 |
| Height: | 1,85 |
| Nationality: | Scotland |
| Position: | Striker – Centre Forward |
| Foot: | right |
| Market value: | 12.000.000 € |
| Player’s agent: | James Grant Sports Management |
This talented Scottish striker first started to attract attention from Premier League clubs when he scored 40 goals in 45 games for League One side Huddersfield Town in 2011/12. But maybe a move to a Premier League club was a leap too big for him at that moment in time. So instead he jumped one level higher to the Championship and Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £8million – the highest transfer fee ever for a player outside of the top flight.
The striker adjusted very quickly to the raise in quality of football, scoring 28 goals in his first season with the club. He finished the second highest scorer in the Championship behind Glenn Murray of Crystal Palace. A full Scotland international for more than two and a half year there seems no doubt the striker will be able to seamlessly adjust to the level of football of the Premier League if any transfer was to materialize.
Newly promoted Hull City are understood to be closely considering a move. The offer of Premier League football and the presence of uncle Steve Agnew, the former Rovers midfielder, as assistant manager at the KC Stadium could prove a lure for Rhodes. Hull are not the only clubs interested in him as West Brom, Fulham, West Ham have all been linked with a move for the 23-year-old in recent weeks.
