Promotion or transfer? 5 Championship stars heading for the Premier League

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The EFL Championship has long been a fertile hunting ground for Premier League clubs looking for cut-price gems and a number of promising starlets have made a seamless switch from the second to the first tier of English football in recent seasons.

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) and Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) are just some of the players to have come off the Championship’s production line over the last few years and a fresh generation of talent is waiting to follow in their footsteps.

Below, we’ve taken a closer look at 5 Championship players who are ready to make their own step up to the Premier League.

Borja Sainz – Norwich

Norwich pulled off a bit of a coup when they managed to wrangle the Spaniard from Turkish side Giresunspor on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 and the Canaries could make a massive profit on the winger if they choose to cash in on him this year.

Sainz, who is a former Athletic Bilbao youth product, has been in electric form down the left flank for Norwich in the Championship this season and could close in on 20 goals before the end of the campaign. Blessed with a silky touch and sharp technique, Sainz has the tools to be a big hit in the Premier League.

Tom Fellows – West Brom

Exciting flanksman Tom Fellows has been on West Brom’s books since Under-10 level and the intelligent wide attacker has pushed his creative output to new levels this season and is on course to finish the campaign with more assists than any other player in the Championship.

The 21-year-old, who is comfortable on either wing, was close to securing a move to Everton during the transfer window, though the Toffees are expected to chase his signature again in the summer.

Jobe Bellingham – Sunderland

As the younger brother of Real Madrid and England superstar Jude, Jobe Bellingham certainly has a big act to follow, though the 19-year-old has all the right attributes to follow his sibling’s stellar career path.

Bellingham has been starring for an exciting Sunderland team this season where his powerful bursts from midfield have been an effective weapon for the promotion chasers. Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City and Crystal Palace are among the clubs credited with an interest in signing the teenage wonderkid.

Maxime Estève – Burnley

A classy centre-half honed on the training pitches of Montpellier and capped numerous times at youth level by France, Maxime Estéve certainly isn’t short on pedigree and the smooth operator already looks well-equipped for life in the Premier League.

Indeed, the 22-year-old made 16 appearances in England’s top flight while on loan with Burnley during the 2023/24 season and Estéve has looked a cut above in the Championship following since completing a permanent move to the Clarets. The Tottenham transfer target looks set for an imminent Premier League return in the summer.

Chris Rigg – Sunderland

South Tyneside native Chris Rigg has been with Sunderland since his primary school days, but if the Black Cats fail to secure promotion to the Premier League this season, the teenager will almost certainly be odds-on to leave his boyhood club in the summer.

Sunderland are still in the mix for a playoff spot, though their promotion prices in the markets on sports betting sites have started to widen of late.

The dynamic midfield has been dynamite since breaking into the Sunderland first team and alongside his elusive dribbling skills, Rigg is an excellent athlete and that combination of attributes should serve him well if he earns his big summer move to the top tier.

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