5 players from the Championship who could light up the Premier League in 2018/19

#4 James Maddison

It seems likely that a Premier League side will make a move for Norwich's James Maddison this summer

With Norwich City finishing in a disappointing 14th position in the Championship, it’s a guarantee that James Maddison won’t be playing in the Premier League with the Canaries next season. However, it also seems practically guaranteed that an existing Premier League side will swoop for the England u-21 international, and given the form he’s displayed this season it’s easy to understand why.

A tremendously skilled midfield playmaker, Maddison’s abilities on the ball have looked to be second to none in the Championship this season. He’s able to pick a pass out from seemingly any position, and is an expert at shooting from distance – whether that’s from a free kick or open play doesn’t appear to matter. His return of 14 goals and 8 assists in 44 appearances essentially means he’s been involved in a goal every 2 games, which is an impressive return.

Maddison unfortunately picked up a knee injury during Norwich’s final game of the season this weekend, and right now how long he’s likely to be sidelined for remains a question mark. If it’s a bad injury then it could throw the beginning of his 2018/19 season off, but assuming he can make a swift recovery then the likelihood of seeing him in the Premier League next season seems high.

Interest from Chelsea and Tottenham has been reported, but in April it appeared that Leicester were favourites for his signature, and perhaps it’d be better for him to move to a lower Premier League club where he’d be guaranteed more playing time. Either way, assuming his knee injury doesn’t derail him too badly, he looks likely to hit the ground running in the Premier League in 2018/19.