A Patreon asked me if there were any players to keep an eye on in the Championship this season, and the answer is yes, there are a lot!
I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you ask five different supporters, they’ll give you different names every time. I have a few that I’m keen to see, a handful established who will likely keep smashing it, and one or two dark horses. Naturally, as someone with seven years of League One writing experience behind them, there is a little lean towards that level and players stepping up.
Anyway, here are mine ten to watch in the Championship this season.
Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City)
Lorent Tolaj’s career has gathered momentum since unsuccessful loan spells with Cambridge United, Salford City and Dundee preceded his departure from Brighton. He scored 19 league goals for Aldershot in 2023/24, which led to Chris on our podcast raving about him. He then smashed 14 for Port Vale the following season, before contributing 18 across Port Vale and Plymouth in League One last term. A £4 million move to Bristol City now gives the Swiss striker an opportunity to continue that progression in the Championship.
Tolaj is an energetic and physical centre-forward who works constantly to find shooting opportunities. He attempted more shots than any other League One player last season, while his movement and alertness allow him to reach crosses and loose balls inside the area. Eight assists also showed that he can create opportunities for others, rather than contributing solely through goals.
Ethan Galbraith (Stoke City)
We know all about Galbraith from his time at Orient, and this summer, he’s made a surprise move. He came through Manchester United’s academy and made his only senior appearance for the club in the Europa League, alongside loans at Doncaster Rovers and Salford City. His career took off after joining Orient in 2023, where he made 96 appearances in all competitions before earning a move to Swansea City. One impressive Championship season was enough to convince Stoke City to spend around £10 million on the Northern Ireland international this summer.
Galbraith’s composure in possession makes him an ideal player to have in the middle of the pitch. He completed 49.6 passes per 90 minutes last season, more than any other Swansea midfielder or forward, but also led the squad by regaining possession 201 times. Comfortable in several positions and rarely flustered on the ball, he should give Stoke greater control in matches.
Daniel Kanu (Charlton Athletic)
This could be a wild pick, but a loan spell last season has convinced me. Kanu joined Charlton Athletic at under-11 level and progressed through their academy before making his senior debut in February 2022. Loan spells with Southend United and Walsall have helped his development, with the forward scoring 18 goals in 44 appearances for the Saddlers during 2025/26. That campaign earned him the League Two Young Player of the Season award, as well as three prizes at Walsall’s end-of-season awards.
Kanu’s movement is one of his biggest strengths, particularly his ability to find space between centre-backs and full-backs. He has the acceleration to reach low crosses and loose balls, while much of his best work comes inside the penalty area. Having also become stronger during his time away from Charlton, he looks better equipped to handle the physical demands of the Championship.
Othmane Maamma (Watford)
Othmane Maamma developed at Montpellier and became the club’s third-youngest goalscorer after finding the net on his first Ligue 1 start in May 2024. Watford signed him for a reported fee of less than £1 million in July 2025, before he helped Morocco win the Under-20 World Cup and received the tournament’s Golden Ball. He returned to establish himself at Vicarage Road, finishing his first season in England as Watford’s Young Player of the Season.
Maamma is a direct winger who enjoys receiving the ball in wide areas and taking on his full-back. His close control and quick changes of direction make him difficult to stop once he begins moving towards the penalty area. He can also carry the ball over longer distances, giving Watford a useful outlet when they need to turn defence into attack.
Mateus Mané (Wolves)
Mateus Mané’s route into senior football has taken him through grassroots clubs in Manchester, Rochdale’s academy and then Wolves, whom he joined in February 2024. He made his Premier League debut against Brighton in May 2025 before establishing himself in the squad with 30 appearances and three goals last season. The teenager has also represented England at under-18 level but now plays internationally for Portugal Under-21s.
Mané can operate through the middle or start from a wider position, giving Wolves several options in attack. His pace and well-timed runs allow him to get behind defenders, particularly when they lose sight of him. He is also strong enough to protect the ball, which should help him cope with the Championship’s more physical side.
Tom Atcheson (Blackburn Rovers)
Tom Atcheson joined Blackburn Rovers at under-12 level and made his senior debut in the League Cup during the 2023/24 season. A loan spell with Marine provided his first regular senior football before injuries gave him an opportunity to establish himself in Blackburn’s defence last term. He ended his breakthrough campaign as the club’s Young Player of the Season and also earned his first senior cap for Northern Ireland. He’s been given the number six at Ewood Park, underlining his potential.
Atcheson already has the height and strength to compete with experienced Championship forwards, while he is particularly effective in the air. He also possesses enough pace to recover when opponents find space behind Blackburn’s defence. The teenager is comfortable receiving possession and looks to play forward whenever possible, as demonstrated by his pass in the build-up to Rovers’ opening-day goal at Burton.
Mo Toure (Norwich)
Sure, I wanted to go with Jovon Makama, but instead, I picked another Canary. Toure became the youngest goalscorer in A-League history when he scored for Adelaide United at the age of 15. Spells with Reims, Paris FC and Randers followed before Norwich City brought the Australian international to England in February 2026. He made an extraordinary start with nine goals in 11 Championship appearances, including hat-tricks against Oxford United and Bristol City.
He combines the pace to run behind defences with the strength to hold off defenders when carrying the ball. He is capable of playing through the middle or moving into wider areas, where he can run directly at opponents. His varied finishing and immediate impact last season suggest Norwich have found a striker capable of becoming one of the division’s leading scorers.
Tariq Lamptey (Queens Park Rangers)
Tariq Lamptey left Chelsea for Brighton in January 2020 and went on to make 122 appearances for the Seagulls across all competitions. His move to Fiorentina last summer ended unhappily after an anterior cruciate ligament injury restricted him to two appearances, with his contract terminated by mutual agreement in May. QPR have now offered the Ghana international an opportunity to rebuild his career after signing him on a free transfer.
Five years ago, Lamptey was regarded as one of the Premier League’s most exciting young wing-backs, with his pace and direct running causing regular problems down Brighton’s right side. Injuries have prevented him from maintaining that early momentum, making his current level difficult to judge. If he can recover the speed, energy and confidence he showed during his breakthrough, QPR could have one of the Championship’s most dangerous attacking full-backs.
Felix Horn Myhre (West Brom)
Felix Horn Myhre arrives in England with more than 300 senior appearances behind him following spells with Ullern, Vålerenga and Brann. He played 181 times in all competitions during five years at Brann, helping them win the Norwegian Cup and qualify for European competition. Now a full Norway international, the 27-year-old joined West Bromwich Albion on a three-year contract earlier this month.
Horn Myhre is a creative midfielder who likes to receive possession on the turn and move his team forward. He contributed four goals and three assists in the 2025 Eliteserien season, while also creating 35 chances and regularly carrying the ball into dangerous areas. His experience and ability to link midfield with attack could add some much-needed imagination to West Brom’s play.
Freddie Draper (Lincoln City)
I don’t care. You might have wanted ten players from outside of our club, but after the first couple of weeks, I think watching Freddie is a good idea. Draper joined City from Derby County as a scholar and made his senior debut against Sheffield Wednesday in October 2021. Productive loans followed with Drogheda United and Walsall, where he scored eight and ten league goals respectively. He has since established himself with the Imps, scoring eight times during last season’s League One title-winning campaign before extending his contract until 2030.
He’s got a lot of senior experience behind him, having been built up by Michael Appleton, knocked down by Mark Kennedy, built up by a couple of loans, only to be overshadowed by Joe Taylor and Jovon Makama and finally, last season, showing his potential. He’s still only 22, but he is physical and has learned how to use his body. If he adds ten goals to his repertoire, the scouts will come flocking as he’s fairly unique in profile.
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