Published: 17:00, 12 January 2026 | Updated: 17:00, 12 January 2026

Antoine Semenyo's £62.5million move to Manchester City once again proved the value of the Championship as a training ground. 

The winger cut his teeth at Bristol City before joining Bournemouth and while clubs often look abroad for talent, England's second tier has bred a steady list of top-flight stars in recent years.

Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo, Viktor Gyokeres, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Harvey Elliott were all playing in the Championship at some point in the 2020s and are now established Premier League and international stars. 

There are, of course, a few Championship aces who struggle with the step up. The likes of Lewis Grabban, Jordan Rhodes and Gary Hooper were prolific in the second tier but couldn't perform at a higher level.

All the same, we wanted to take the current crop of Championship prospects and predict who could be the next big thing. 

Three rules: They have to be 23 or under, they can't be well-known from the Premier League and no loan players are allowed....