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The EFL Championship this season is as entangled as ever with multiple clubs looking to make their mark on both ends of the table. As many as eleven teams are aiming for a promotion spot while seven others are looking to escape the relegation zone. Players have contributed to their team's collective goals as usual but some have stood out from the crowd owing to their brilliant performances.
We take a look at three such goalscorers who have been in fine form in the Championship this season and could well earn a move to the Premier League in the upcoming summer transfer window.
#3 Karlan Grant (Huddersfield)
22-year-old Karlan Grant did get to play at the highest level of English football, albeit only for a short while. The Englishman was picked up by Huddersfield Town in the winter transfer window of the 2018/19 season from Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee. The striker made his debut against Chelsea on February 2 and scored his first goal for the club just a week later against Arsenal.
Grant made thirteen appearances for the Terriers in the Premier League, scoring four times in total, but was unable to save them from the drop at the end of the season.
The youngster, however, has truly showcased his talents back in the English second division, scoring fourteen times this season. He has played a part in 32 of the 35 matches so far and has also provided four assists. Furthermore, Grant is also up amongst the best in the league when it comes to shots on target, with his 66 per cent accuracy the second-highest among players who have scored at least ten goals.
The Huddersfield Town star was a subject of a £15 Million bid this January from an unnamed Premier League side, as per 90min. However, he could still make his way into the English top division, given his attributes and his young age.
#2 Ollie Watkins (Brentford)
Each year, Brentford find themselves among the sides pushing for promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs. However, the Bees have so far been unsuccessful in their pursuit to make it to the top league.
Nonetheless, Brentford fans have a reason to believe that this year is the year when they finally earn promotion to the first division. The Bees currently occupy a playoff spot and is among the favourites to enter the four-team mini-tournament in the post-season. Their attack has been particularly impressive, with all three of their frontmen - Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbueno, and Said Benrahma into double figures for the season.
Watkins has been their top-scorer with 22 goals to his name. The 24-year-old striker is also the second-highest scorer in the league behind Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic. Further, he has three assists to his name, bringing his total contributions to 25, which happens to be the highest in the division. Watkins also holds the third-best shot accuracy (64 per cent) and the third-best minutes per goal ratio (143) among the players with at least ten goals to their name in the league.
Football fans could yet see Watkins in the Premier League with Brentford, should the Bees earn promotion this season. The Englishman could also prove to be a good fit for any mid-table Premier League side should he decide to move on in the summer.
#1 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)
Aleksandar Mitrovic's time in the Premier League earned him a bad reputation. The Serbian became known for his poor disciplinary record while his goalscoring exploits were sidelined. However, the striker has been in stunning form this season in the Championship and could well yet earn another chance to play in the top division.
Mitrovic has scored 23 goals this season in 32 appearances and is the top-scorer in the league. That number means that the Serb himself has scored more than three times the goals as the club's second-highest scorer, Tom Cairney. His form has been pivotal for Fulham as they look to bounce back to the Premier League just months following their relegation.
The former Newcastle man also has one assist to his name this season while his minutes per goal ratio (125) happens to be the best in the division among players with ten or more goals. He has also taken ninety shots this season with a fifty-two per cent accuracy, second only to Leeds United's Patrick Bamford.
Mitrovic is bound to play a key role in this season's run-in as the Cottagers look to return to the Premier League. However, a failure to do so could open them up to bids for their star man, who will make a fine addition to any top side.
