From Jude Bellingham to Adam Wharton, Viktor Gyokeres to Michael Olise, the Championship is a gold mine for top-flight clubs looking to enhance their squads with immensely talented individuals.
Second-tier academies continue to churn out exciting prospects and recruitment departments have capitalised on their enhanced data-driven infrastructure by scouring for hidden gems across Europe.
We've taken a look at five players who are currently operating in the Championship who would make an impact in the Premier League or one of Europe's leading divisions.
Club: Sunderland
Position: AM
Age: 17
Market value (Transfermarkt): €12.00m
Sunderland have an abundance of precocious talents within their ranks and no player epitomises the club's bright future better than Chris Rigg.
The attacking midfielder emerged through the ranks on Wearside and became Sunderland's youngest-ever debutant in January 2023 when he appeared in the FA Cup.
Since then, Rigg has cemented his role as an essential figure in the Black Cats XI and produced a catalogue of standout performances which bely his age.
An incisive technician who is capable of scoring and creating chances, Rigg's tenacity and fearlessness have enabled him to rub shoulders with the Championship's most bruising opponents.
His ceiling is extraordinarily high. Suggestion of Rigg being a future England star have already been murmured.
Despite the volume of praise, the innovative midfielder has managed to keep his feet firmly grounded. It does, however, only feel like a matter of time before the Hebburn extraordinaire is plying his trade in the Premier League.
Club: Millwall
Position: RW
Age: 19
Market value (Transfermarkt): €5.00m
Having honed his skills on the streets of Bermondsey and Peckham as a child, Romain Esse is showcasing his exhilarating ability on a consistent basis in the Championship after unearthing a regular starting berth at Millwall.
On top of his elusive abilities to meander through several defenders and escape pressure with his trickery, Esse possesses a variety of goals in his locker having produced sublime finishes against Norwich, Plymouth and Preston.
No player in the Championship has drawn more fouls, he ranks second for successful take-ons and his effectiveness on both sides of the ball is demonstrated by the winger averaging 1.76 tackles won per 90, placing him in the top 4% of his positional peers.
Predominantly operating on the right flank, Esse's versatility made him a dependable figure for Neil Harris and will likely make him a trustworthy ally for incoming boss Alex Neil.
Esse signed a new contract in August which is believed to contain a release clause of £12m.
Club: Middlesbrough
Position: CM
Age: 22
Market value (Transfermarkt): €8.00m
Another local lad surfacing at his hometown club and making waves is Hayden Hackney.
The Redcar-born ace is a vital cog at the heart of Middlesbrough's midfield and his leadership qualities saw Michael Carrick entrust Hackney with the captain's armband at the end of October.
No player in the Championship has completed more progressive passes than Hackney and the range and accuracy of his passing is an essential component in enabling the Middlesbrough attack to function.
Efficiently pulling the strings when in possession, Hackney is also effective at retrieving possession and averages over seven ball recoveries per fixture.
He can fulfil a deeper role but it's as a box-crashing midfielder in which Hackney flourishes and the Middlesbrough sensation certainly possesses the skillset to compete at a higher level.
Club: Norwich City
Position: LW
Age: 23
Market value (Transfermarkt): €12.00m
Norwich City's Basque prince has been in blistering form this term, netting 15 goals before the New Year to lead the Championship goalscoring charts.
Purchased from Turkish outfit Giresunspor on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, Sainz required time to acclimatise to the rigours of the Championship. Norwich have an impressive track record of polishing rough diamonds and Johannes Hoff Thorup's offensive playbook has enabled the former Alaves academy product to sparkle.
An inverted winger who loves to cut inside and shoot with his stronger right foot, Sainz has utilised his intricate control, sharp acceleration and clinical finishing to devastating effect.
At the time of writing the Spaniard is overperforming his xG by a league-high 5.8, which is impressive considering Sainz ranks highest in the second tier for shots and shots on target.
His ability to beat a defender is typified by the Canaries man topping the charts for successful take-ons in the Championship; even when a defender anticipates which direction he's heading, Sainz is pretty difficult to stop.
Club: Sunderland
Position: CM
Age: 19
Market value (Transfermarkt): €18.00m
The trials and tribulations of being the younger brother of a Real Madrid superstar when attempting to forge a career path of your own.
Jobe Bellingham made the bold decision to depart Birmingham City - the boyhood club whom his brother, Jude, came to prominence - and join Sunderland at the age of 16.
Opting to adorn his No.7 shirt with his forename instead of his surname, Bellingham has been attempting to establish his own identity whilst on Wearside.
His switch to Sunderland has certainly been vindicated. The midfielder has demonstrated he's got all of the tools to compete at an elite level, unshackling himself from familial ties and earning a reputation as one of the EFL's brightest prospects on merit.
There are similarities to his brother, especially when Jobe is in possession: the technical prowess, deceptive strength and splendid composure.
He's capable of operating as both a nine and 10, yet it's in the midfield pivot where Bellingham has been trusted by Regis Le Bris to motor Sunderland's attack.
On the ball he can orchestrate proceedings, but equally it's his movement off the ball which is impressive, making instinctive runs into the penalty area and creating spaces from which his teammates prosper.
It will be of little surprise to Sunderland that hoards of Premier League clubs are beginning to queue up for his services.