10 Championship gems destined for Premier League stardom: Arsenal academy graduate; Liverpool, Newcastle targets

The EFL Championship is teeming with talent and we have picked out 10 gems who we believe are destined for a career in the Premier League.

For the purposes of this article, we have omitted the stars who have already made a name for themselves in the top flight. That means the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Kyle Walker-Peters and Wilfred Ndidi don’t make the cut for this article.

We have also omitted any loanees from this list, meaning the likes of Joe Rodon, Jay Stansfield and Omari Hutchinson haven’t been included, despite the excellent form that they have all showcased.

There is great value to be hand in the Championship market and Premier League clubs will be well aware of this. In recent years the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have done tremendously well since making the transition to the top flight.

We’ve taken a closer look at the Championship this season and have identified 10 gems who we believe are destined for a career in the Premier League.

Jaden Philogene

Hull City managed to prize the highly-rated winger away from Aston Villa in the summer. While Villa seemed reluctant to lose him, Philogene himself wanted to go in search of first-team football.

In the end, the move has worked out tremendously well for the 22-year-old. His profile has risen considerably and there will no doubt be some Premier League interest in the summer.

Despite missing around two months of the season through injury, he’s still produced 13 goal contributions in just 1551 minutes.

However, in order to fully appreciate Philogene, you need to see him in action yourself. The winger glides through matches and dances around defenders for fun. He’s also scored some spectacular goals this season.

Crysencio Summerville

The Dutch winger got a taste of the Premier League in 2022–23, but he’s come on leaps and bounds since that point. Now a key component in Daniel Farke’s Leeds United side, we’d be shocked if he’s not in the top flight next season.

If Leeds aren’t able to secure promotion at the first time of asking, there will likely be a long queue forming for the dynamic 22-year-old.

Leeds fans can take some comfort from the fact that he is tied down until 2026, although plenty of Premier League clubs have already expressed an interest in the Dutch star.

Over the last couple of transfer windows, the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle and Burnley have been sniffing around him. Watch this space.

Stephy Mavididi

In a Leicester City squad that is already littered with established Premier League stars, Mavididi is someone who is yet to prove himself at the highest level.

The former Arsenal academy prospect has been in superb form for the Foxes, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Barring a late collapse from Leicester in the title race, we’re almost certain that he will be playing Premier League football next season and we couldn’t be more excited.

Morgan Whittaker

The 23-year-old is enjoying the season of his life with Plymouth Argyle right now. He’s managed to produce 24 goal contributions so far with an impressive 17 goals and seven assists.

Plymouth only paid around £1m to lure him away from Swansea in the summer and it’s fair to say that his market value has risen considerably since that point.

The dynamic forward prominently plays on the right-hand side of a forward three, although he is versatile enough to play anywhere across the forward three.

Given his sky-high potential and freakishly good output this season, the Premier League is his most likely next destination.

Archie Gray

Leeds have gone and done it again. In years gone by, their academy has produced some gems and Gray seems to be their latest wonderkid in the making.

After an eye-catching campaign, the 17-year-old has already attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle.

Gray has featured in all but two of Leeds’ league games so far and his versatility has been a real asset for Farke to rely upon. Capable of playing in midfield or at right-back, there’ll no doubt be a lot of interest in the teenager this summer.

Gabriel Sara

From Emi Buendia to James Maddison, Norwich City have a knack for developing technically gifted players. Of their current playing squad, Sara is someone who looks like a Premier League player in waiting.

The Brazilian midfielder has created 86 chances this season which is the third-most in the Championship. He’s also got an eye for goal himself, with seven strikes up until this point.

Jack Clarke

There’s probably a valid case to be made that Clarke’s move to Tottenham in 2019 just came too soon in his career. Since leaving Spurs, he’s been developing nicely with Sunderland and now looks like a Premier League player in waiting.

The 22-year-old has been the best dribbler in the league this season with an impressive 122 successful dribbles up until this point. He’s also got the end product to back up his impressive underlying stats with 15 goals and four assists this season.

According to recent reports, Clarke is currently being tracked by the likes of Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace. 

Sunderland are said to value their prized asset at around £20m, so he certainly won’t come cheap for those sides who are looking at him.

Georginio Rutter

Rutter has been among the best players in the Championship this year. The French forward played sparingly in the second half of last season, but he only managed one Premier League start for Leeds before they were ultimately relegated.

In the Championship, he’s looked a level above the competition. The technically gifted forward has 17 goal contributions up until this point with six goals and 11 assists to his name.

He’s also created 20 big chances which has only been bettered by Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu in the Championship. We’re in no doubt that the Premier League awaits for Rutter.

Jonathan Rowe

Having enjoyed a real breakthrough season for Norwich, plenty of Premier League sides have been sniffing around Rowe.

Earlier in the campaign, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Burnley and Sheffield United were all monitoring his performances.

With 12 goals and two assists so far, it’s no wonder he’s attracting interest. The 20-year-old is under contract at Carrow Road until 2025, with the club holding a further one-year option.

Callum O’Hare

The diminutive Coventry City playmaker has all the traits of a Premier League player in waiting. He’s brilliant in tight spaces and can leave a defender for dead with the drop of a shoulder.

Having missed almost a year of action with an ACL injury, the 25-year-old made his return to action in October. Since that point, he’s managed to produce nine goal contributions in just 1193 minutes of football.

With his current deal at Coventry set to expire at the end of the season, he could be available on a free transfer this summer which would be quite the bargain.

READ MORE: Leeds United: Frustration for Farke as bid to reunite Whites boss with ‘outstanding’ ex-Norwich star rejected