EFL pundit Gab Sutton picks out his top five hot prospects to watch in the Championship this season.
Despite all eyes being on the World Cup at present, the new Championship campaign is just around the corner as teams compete to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
The second tier of English football is awash with prodigious talent and our man Gab Sutton has identified five hot prospects that he believes can steal the headlines in the upcoming season.
Dylan Lawlor
After struggling for minutes in Cardiff City’s last Championship stint, homegrown defender Dylan Lawlor has flourished in League One under Brian Barry-Murphy.
The Irish coach, with a great zest for youth development, has given the 20-year-old a central role with the Bluebirds, and he’s rewarded that faith with some delightfully progressive performances, demonstrating a fantastic passing range and a talent for bringing the ball out of defence – sometimes, like February’s 4-0 win at Doncaster, all the way to scoring himself.
It would take an eight-figure offer for Cardiff to cash in on Lawlor this summer, with the defender under contract until 2028 – but if he has a great season in the Championship as expected, and continues to star for Wales, they can auction suitors up to an astronomical price next summer.
Jenson Metcalfe
Over the last two years, Metcalfe has worked his way up the leagues through relentless energy and sheer tenacity, impressing for Play-Off outfits in League Two with Chesterfield, and League One with Bradford.
Ironically, the former Everton trainee gained more glowing individual reviews at the higher level, after his permanent move to Valley Parade, having flown somewhat under the radar with the Spireites.
The 21-year-old is a very well-rounded midfielder and while his skillset is predominantly around ball-winning just because he’s aggressive, which Millwall fans are going to absolutely love, he’s also a lovely passer of a ball and should have all the ingredients to sustain a career at the top level.
Nestory Irankunda
The biggest surprise at Watford last season was that Nestory Irankunda only started 25 league games, because he had the individual ability to be a star player.
The forward, who can play down the middle or off the right, is a powerful runner with the ball, generating terrific momentum with his forward forays and often gets fouled a lot by defenders – which doesn’t always help because he’s also a stunning free-kick taker with, to quote Alan Partridge, a right foot like a traction engine.
Irankunda was on a leash last season, in terms of minutes, but as the World Cup demonstrated, when he’s let off the leash, he can trouble anyone.
Oscar Schwartau
It’s season three for Oscar Schwartau at Carrow Road, and already the 20-year-old is looking a bargain for an outlay from 2024 of just £2M, with Napoli already expressing interest in the Denmark Under-21s international.
There’s a feeling, though, that the attacking midfielder can go up yet another level next season, especially in terms of productivity: he scooped the club’s Young Player of the Year award, with only four goals and two assists to his name.
Schwartau is a versatile, flexible footballer with excellent creativity, boundless energy and smart link-up play – and there’s even more to come.
Under the Attanasio’s ownership, the Canaries no longer have to sell to the first bidder for their top talent: wanting him is one thing, getting him is another.
And, similarly to Lawlor, Norwich could benefit from holding on to him for one more year, because he’s capable of a huge spike in his development under Phillippe Clement’s leadership.
Matheus Mane
The England youth international featured at the back end of the 2024-25 campaign for Wolverhampton Wanderers, before progressing to become a solitary shining light in an otherwise bleak Premier League outing last season.
The attacking midfielder developed an elite reputation at youth level, was the top flight’s best performing teenager last season, and managed four goal involvements.
Now, as a likely regular starter under Cesar Peixoto, the former Rochdale youngster could be set for big things in the second-tier, as he looks to translate a strong first touch, top technical skills and great decision making into a full season of real productivity.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid are among those in a queue for Mane’s services, but for now opportunities lie at Molineux.
