5 Championship players who could move to the Premier League this month

There are some excellent players in the Championship
There are some excellent players in the Championship

We have had a thrilling first half to the Premier League season, with action at both ends of the table.

Manchester City and Liverpool have gone toe-to-toe in what looks like being the closest title race in years. The Reds are currently top of the table, but City closed the gap with a 2-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s men at the Etihad Stadium last week.

Behind them, the battle for Champions League places has intensified, with Manchester United sacking manager Jose Mourinho, and replacing him with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Chelsea look like they are willing to spend big in January, while Unai Emery will also be looking for improvements at Arsenal.

At the bottom of the table, both Fulham and Southampton have already made moves to replace their managers, with Claudio Ranieri and Ralph Hassenhuttl their respective replacements.

Huddersfield Town look to have already been cut adrift at the bottom, and the Terriers are already eight points behind Cardiff City in 17th place. Burnley and Newcastle United are the other two teams who look to be involved in a relegation battle, but there is still a chance the likes of Crystal Palace could be dragged into it.

The majority of teams will be looking to make improvements this January. While the teams at the top have the financial capability to sign some of the top players in Europe, a number of teams may have to settle for lesser-known names.

There are a number of players in the lower leagues who are more than good enough to play in the top division, and some of these could make the move this month. Here are five Championship players who could move to the Premier League this month.


#1 Neal Maupay (Brentford)

Maupay has already scored 15 league goals this season
Maupay has already scored 15 league goals this season

The hardest thing to find in the transfer window is a striker who is capable of putting the ball in the net. It is amazing the number of strikers who have moved to the Premier League and struggled, even those who cost an awful lot of money, with Alvaro Morata a prime example. This is particularly a problem for sides in the lower half of the table, because they don’t have the money to spend on proven forwards.

One man who has shown he can find the net is Brentford striker Neal Maupay. The Frenchman has already scored an impressive 15 goals in the Championship so far this season, as well as providing six assists. He is someone who has a knack of getting himself into goalscoring positions, and he could be a valuable asset for a Premier League side.

#2 Bradley Dack (Blackburn Rovers)

Dark has been in superb form this season
Dark has been in superb form this season

Dack is someone who has come through at a slightly later age than some of the players we have seen come up from the lower league in recent years. The 25-year-old only made his Championship debut for Blackburn Rovers this season, having played in both League One and League Two for Gillingham.

He has proven this season that he is someone good enough to score and create goals at Championship level, netting ten times and providing four assists in the league so far this season. Dack has made vast improvements to his game since joining Blackburn at the start of last season, and he has certainly caught the eye, with reports linking him with a move to West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Thus, one shouldn't be too surprised if Dack's name is splashed over the back pages as the newest acquisition in the January Transfer Window.

#3 Joe Lolley (Nottingham Forest)

Lolley has made a real impact at Forest
Lolley has made a real impact at Forest

Lolley is a man who has previous Premier League experience, having spent the first half of last season in the Huddersfield Town side that was promoted to the Premier League. He never really got going in the top flight of English football though, appearing just six times, only two of them from the start, scoring one goal.

The winger has taken his game to another level at Aitor Karanka’s Nottingham Forest this season though. He has scored six goals in the league, while providing seven assists, four of which came in the 5-5 draw away at Aston Villa. His impressive performances have caught the eye of Premier League clubs, with Crystal Palace credited with having an interest.

Hence, with Lolley coming off age recently, he could be a bargain purchase for several mid-table clubs in the English Premier League. If he eventually makes the move is anyone's guess right now, but he definitely is one to watch out for.

#4 Jarrod Bowen (Hull City)

Bowen has been linked with a move to Tottenham
Bowen has been linked with a move to Tottenham

Bowen is one of a number of players we have seen in recent years who have started out in non-league football but progressed to play in the higher levels in England. Bowen started out his career with Hereford United, before moving to Hull City in 2014 when the club was dissolved. Since then he has gone on to become one of the Championship’s most talented players.

After spending a couple of years in the Tigers’ development side, Bowen actually made his debut for the club in the Premier League, during the 2016/17 season. If anything, he benefitted from their relegation, becoming a key man last season, where he scored 14 goals. He is already well on the way to passing that total, with 11 goals to his name already this season.

Thus, Bowen is a player a number of clubs will be keeping a close eye on in the January window.

#5 Adam Reach (Sheffield Wednesday)

Reach has been one of the bright sparks for Wednesday this season
Reach has been one of the bright sparks for Wednesday this season

It has not been a good season for Sheffield Wednesday, with the Owls down in 16th in the Championship, and on to their second manager of the season, with Steve Bruce replacing Jos Luhukay. One of the bright sparks in their season though has been the form of Reach, and in particular, some of the goals that he has scored.

Reach is almost having his own goal of the season competition, having netted two stunning strikes against Middlesbrough and Leeds United, adding to two sensational goals last season against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. There is more to his game than that, as he is a tricky winger capable of carving out chances for his teammates, and that could help him earn a Premier League move.

Having not done too well in his previous stint with Middlesbrough, Reach would be hoping to get another bite at the Premier League cherry.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian