Homegrown Championship players that Premier League clubs must sign

The football season seems to have never ended, with the European Qualifiers, Copa America, FIFA Women's World Cup and AFC Joint Qualifiers just some of the football on offer to keep us satisfied during this off-season. Even when these games aren't on, the transfer season keeps us on our toes with rumours, loan deals and transfers happening all across the world.The Premier League, England's top football competition, has a global presence that is unmatched by most leagues and all the top clubs in England have established scouting networks across the world.Angel Di Maria, England's most expensive transfer, by Manchester United for £59.7m last season, shows that these clubs are ready to pay big bucks for players who have performed at the biggest stage.On the other end of the spectrum, we have seen the likes of Aaron Cresswell become a regular at West Ham United during the 2014/15 after signing for the Hammers from Sky Bet Championship side Ipswich Town for £3.75m during the summer.The English sides have been wary of signing British and non-British homegrown talent because the players have overinflated values because of their homegrown status, and are therefore much more expensive than their foreign counterparts.With Financial Fair Play and FA Homegrown Rules becoming stricter in the near future, it is the right time for clubs to purchase young English players at a decent price, who can not only fill their squad with numbers but also play a role during the course of the Premier League season.With Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford playing in the league next season, players like Callum Wilson, Matt Ritchie (both AFC Bournemouth), Nathan Redmond (Norwich City) and Troy Deeney (Watford) and their respective promoted teams will be plying their trade against England’s best, but there are a few more Championship players that should find their way to the Premier League even though their teams have missed out on promotion.Here are five players that should be signed by Premier League sides from the Championship:

#1 Will Hughes

Current Club: Derby County

Age: 20

Position: Midfielder

Derby County narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League after a dismal run at the end of the 2014/15 season, but this shouldn’t stop the left-footed Hughes from making the jump to the top English league, with numerous Premier League teams scouting him throughout the season.

Rumours during the previous summer transfer window indicated that Hughes had rejected an approach from a major Premier League side to stay with Derby after a heartbreaking playoff Final loss in the 2013/14 season. His side, having missed out on promotion yet again, will find it incredibly difficult to hold onto the youngster even though Hughes is on a long-term contract till 2018.

Having played in 42 of the possible 46 league games for his club this season, and 41 out of 46 in the 2013/14 season, Will Hughes has proved to be invaluable to Derby over the last couple of seasons. Will Hughes completed a Derby County ‘player of the year’ clean sweep this season, picking up the club player of the year, the players' player of the year, the supporters' club player of the year and fans' player of the year awards.

After getting his first Under-21 cap at 17 and becoming the second youngest English player to do so, he has gone on to represent his country at this level on 15 occasions, chipping in with a couple of goals. Hughes is currently with the England side in the European Under-21 Championship, pulling the strings from the centre of midfield.

Liverpool were looking to sign this blonde, technical player in late March and should still be ready to pay around £15m for his services but will face top competition from other top sides as Will Hughes promises to be one for the future of English football.

Teams that should look to sign him: Liverpool, Arsenal.

Will Hughes could be Liverpool’s long-term successor to legend, Steven Gerrard, who has left the club. Whether he can slot into that role immediately is debatable, but even if he takes some time to fit in at the club, there is no doubt that Hughes has what it takes to be a fixture in a top Premier League side like Liverpool.

As for Arsenal, with Rosicky, Flamini and Arteta seemingly at the end of their careers at the club; this season or next, there’s a big hole in the centre of the park and virtually no one to fill it. Arsene Wenger could develop Hughes and have him challenge and complement Jack Wilshere in the long run.

#2 Ben Gibson

Current Club: Middlesbrough

Age: 22

Position: Defender

Ben Gibson has been a Middlesbrough player ever since the start of his professional career back in 2010, however, he’s only played a significant role at the club over the last two seasons. He has no shortage of experience, however, having been loaned out to sides in the League Two, Conference Premier and League One over his first two seasons at the club, picking up an FA Trophy on the way.

Ben Gibson is the nephew of Steve Gibson, the current Middlesbrough chairman, but his performances are what have cemented his position in the side, not his family ties. The centre-back, who can also play left-back, was a part of the meanest defence in the Championship, conceding only 37 goals over a 46 game league season and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with Gibson becoming a regular fixture of the England Under-21s managed by former Middlesbrough defender and legend, Gareth Southgate.

The young defender has a contract that runs till 2019 but with rumours of Liverpool and Manchester City looking at the player to fill the homegrown quota, it’ll be difficult for Middlesbrough to keep the player. Even though he is linked with huge English clubs, Ben Gibson could find himself in a newly promoted side or a team like Leicester City who will aim to strengthen their team for another long season in the Premier League, if they can match the asking price.

Teams that should look to sign him: Leicester City, Aston Villa.

There are better prospects out there for Liverpool and Manchester City to sign this season, which could open up the doors for smaller sides like Aston Villa and Leicester City to snap up the defender. Both sides’ defences leaked goals last season, with Newcastle United being the only non-relegated side to have conceded more, and the signing of Ben Gibson will help strengthen up the back line of either of these clubs.

#3 Jordan Rhodes

Current Club: Blackburn Rovers

Age: 25

Position: Striker

Scottish international, Jordan Rhodes, has been scoring goals for fun ever since joining, then League One side, Huddersfield Town back in the 2009-10 season. It was Rhodes’ goalscoring ability that got Huddersfield up to the Championship with the striker contributing with 36 goals in 40 league games in 2011-12, attracting many suitors.

It was Blackburn Rovers, his current side, that finally signed the striker at the start of the following season at a club record £8m, and his performances for the club have been nothing short of extraordinary, with Rhodes scoring 87 goals from 148 appearances for Blackburn in all competitions. His current contracts runs until 2019 and which may put off some clubs as Rovers would expect a hefty sum if they are to let the player leave.

Interest from Everton and Hull City, among other clubs has been deserved and expected, as various Premier League clubs are looking to get a proven goalscorer in the form of an acclimatised Rhodes to lead their attack line.

The Blackburn striker has spent all his life in England but chose to represent Scotland, and has made 13 appearances for his country. At 25, Rhodes is relatively older to the other players on the list and his experience is unmatched, having already made 325 appearances at club level across four English divisions.

Jordan Rhodes was recently named in the Football Manager Team of the Decade in the Football League Awards but he will be hoping to be part of the Premier League next season.

Teams that should look to sign him: Everton, Newcastle United, Hull City.

Everton’s frontline heavily misfired last season, with Romelu Lukaku the only striker to score more than 1 league goal with a disappointing 10; he was the only player to get into double digits in league goals.

The story isn’t much different with Hull City whose top scorer in the 2014/15 season was Nikica Jelavic with 8 goals. Both clubs would benefit if Jordan Rhodes were to join the club and maintain his goalscoring record.

#4 Tyrone Mings

Current Club: Ipswich Town

Age: 22

Position: Defender

At 6ft 5in, Tyrone Mings is a formidable defender, appearing on 35 occasions in the league season for his club in the 2014/15 season, coming up with some vital blocks and interceptions for the Ipswich Town that finished sixth and went into the Championship playoffs.

A loss in the semi-finals, however, dashed Mings’ hopes of reaching the Premier League with the Tractor Boys. In the summer of 2014, Mings’ club rejected a £3m offer from Premier League side, Crystal Palace, and the left-back then signed a new contract that keeps him at the club till 2017.

There is no doubt that the 22 year old has the physicality to fit into the top league but is also surprisingly quick. If Tyrone Mings were to play in the Premier League this season, his story would come full circle, having been released by Southampton and Bristol City as a youngster, considering quitting from the game altogether, before returning to the Football League via non-league football.

According to reports back at the start of the new year, Premier League sides, Arsenal and Newcastle, were monitoring the progress of Mings, and a transfer bid from one of the top sides should be expected in this transfer window as the tall defender has only continued to impress with his performances in the Championship.

Mings is known to be a generous and charitable professional, which is always good for a club in the media.

Teams that should look to sign him: Arsenal, Newcastle United.

A transfer to a mid-level side like Newcastle United may see Mings immediately start for the club as he is equally competent at left-back and centre-back and the Newcastle defence needs a fresh injection of pace and power which he possesses, but signing for Arsenal could be outstanding for the youngster’s development and morale.

#5 Alex Pritchard

Current Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Age: 22

Position: Midfielder

Alex Pritchard made just one appearance for Tottenham Hotspur back in 2012/13, as a 83rd minute substitute in the final game of the season, but has spent most of the last three seasons at Peterborough United and Brentford in the Championship and Swindon Town in League One.

In the 2014/15 season, he was, by far, Brentford’s best player, playing 45 out of the possible 46 Championship games, contributing with 12 goals and 7 assists; the club finishing fifth in the Championship.

Primarily operating as a central midfielder with a tendency to go forward, Pritchard has been deployed with effect on the left wing as well. Tottenham may have an abundance of choices in midfield, but Pritchard could find himself in the rotation after statements made by the manager confirming that the youngster will be part of the Tottenham first-team in the 2015/16 season.

Brentford’s Social Media Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year is proof of a successful loan system and will be looking forward to use his experience in the Under-21 European Championship alongside fellow Tottenham teammate, Harry Kane.

Another one tipped to be part of England’s midfield for years to come, it’ll be interesting to see if Pritchard can stake a claim in the Tottenham side over players with bigger reputations and bigger wages.

Teams that should look to sign him: Bottom-Half Premier League Sides

Teams that don’t have realistic hopes of finishing in the European places and are strapped for cash could loan Alex Pritchard if Tottenham were to change their mind about the youngster’s place in the side. Promoted sides looking for a cheap, temporary option could take a chance on Pritchard in a bid to survive in the Premier League.