The EFL has long been a fruitful market for the best and brightest young players in English football.
Jarrod Bowen, Adam Wharton and James Maddison are all among the recent success stories as players who have traded the lower leagues for the Premier League — but what of the next generation? From the Championship to League Two, the pool of players worth monitoring as future stars of the top flight has never been bigger.
From established internationals to cut-price youth prospects, if there is one thing the EFL boasts, it is a diversity of playing talent.
The Athletic picks out 10 to watch in January (and beyond) who have the potential to make the step up to the Premier League in the near future.
It is more likely that the Japan international midfielder will be headed to the top tier as part of a promotion-winning side with Leeds this season rather than leaving in January. Graceful on the ball and able to escape tight spaces under pressure, Tanaka, 26, has transformed from classic box-to-box midfielder to defensive anchor in the past few months to cover for injuries in Daniel Farke’s team.
And the former Fortuna Dusseldorf man has impressed. His commanding performances and flashy range of passing could be enough to keep club captain Ethan Ampadu out of the starting team as Tanaka has really taken to English football. He only joined in August but has big ambitions of going to the top and is one of Leeds’ biggest assets right now.
GO DEEPER
How Ao Tanaka is making himself undroppable for Leeds
Tanaka scored the winner against Spain for Japan at the Qatar 2022 World Cup to send his country into the knockouts and is one of the most established players on this list so is unlikely to come cheap. But Leeds have captured a dynamic midfield talent for a low fee (a reported £2.95million/€3.5million/$3.88m) and should make a big profit if Tanaka continues on this course.
His first goal for the club in the 3-3 draw with Hull City was worth the wait, too.
Just ridiculous 🤯#EFL | @LUFC pic.twitter.com/43Q75Rqztl
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) January 4, 2025
Millwall academy product Esse is impossible to miss, with his lanky frame and tricky dribbling making him an entertaining player to watch. The 19-year-old has represented England from under-18 to under-20 level and broke through at The Den in 2022 before signing his first professional contract in January 2023.
Esse is a handful on the wing with a magnetic touch and change of pace to get away from opponents or draw a foul as he carries Millwall forward. The south Londoner has contributed four goals and one assist to a positive start to the season for his club despite the surprise departure of manager Neil Harris in December. Esse is naturally left-footed and is growing in importance for Millwall after building on his 25 league appearances last season to become a regular starter.
🥊 The determination to win the ball.
🏃♂️ The intelligence of the run.
❄️ The composed finish.This goal is all about Romain Esse. #Millwall pic.twitter.com/5x2HjwDgRD
— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) October 24, 2024
He signed a contract extension in August until the summer of 2026, but that is unlikely to deter his suitors. Esse’s middle name is Joy and that is what he brings with his direct attacking style of play — with every passing game in the Championship, his value is rising.
Two Sunderland players featuring on this list is a demonstration that their policy of recruiting and promoting young players into the starting XI is working. Few have had the impact of local lad Rigg, who has shone again this season in a promising start to put Regis Le Bris’ side in the promotion race at the halfway point.
It was impossible to escape highlights of Rigg’s stunning backheel goal against Middlesbrough in September that won the Championship goal of the month and reflects how bright the 17-year-old’s star is shining.
GO DEEPER
A 17-year-old wonderkid analyses his brilliant backheel goal
After bursting onto the scene as Sunderland’s second-youngest player and youngest goalscorer under Tony Mowbray in 2023, Rigg racked up 21 Championship appearances last season and the central midfielder has played for England’s youth teams from under-15 to under-18.
Though under contract at Sunderland until 2027, transfer talk is ramping up. It seems a matter of when, not if, Premier League teams come calling for a teenager playing with a maturity beyond his years.
Assist machine Fellows has seven in the Championship this season after making his mark on loan at Crawley Town in 2022-23. The 21-year-old forward can play in wide areas or centrally and is a threat with his ability to make runs in behind the back line as well as with bursts of pace on marauding runs with the ball at his feet.
With good technical ability and an eye for a pass to progress the ball upfield, Fellows received his first England youth call-up for the under-21s squad in September, which was just reward for his performances under Carlos Corberan.
Fellows is a dynamic attacker (George Wood/Getty Images)
West Brom have Fellows under contract until 2027, which is a wise move considering he is one of the most exciting young players in the Championship.
The player on this list who needs little introduction, Bellingham is another “when not if” Premier League player in waiting. Though he chooses to just go by Jobe, the 19-year-old’s surname was always going to bring interest, but he has shown he can be a star in his own right.
His development at Sunderland has been impressive since joining from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2023 and the midfielder has continued his progress through England’s youth ranks up to under-21 level as well.
When Jobe completes the comeback in front of the away end 😍🤯 pic.twitter.com/qTh4zeRiEn
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 14, 2024
As Bellingham has developed physically, he has become a well-rounded player in his position, adding goals to his game in the past two seasons. Seven goals and one assist in 2023-24, followed by four goals and three assists this season, are a good return for a player used to meeting the pressure of high expectations. Sunderland are likely to make a good return on their investment in the teenager’s development and have him secured on improved terms until 2028.
Right-back Fisher has one of the most interesting journeys to the Championship on this list, with the 20-year-old Norwich player cutting his teeth in non-League before his move to the EFL. A Bromley academy product, Fisher was sent on two loan spells to Welling United and Cray Wanderers for development on his way to 25 senior league appearances for his parent club.
Fisher has found his feet at Norwich (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Since joining Norwich in July 2023 on a deal running until 2028, Fisher has upped his game time from nine league appearances in his debut Championship season to become a regular starter in 2023-24. Although he now faces competition from Jack Stacey for a starting place, Fisher’s defensive competence and ability to step out while in possession and drive forward makes him an exciting prospect.
It has been a family affair at Sheffield Wednesday this season for goalkeeper Pierce Charles as he was joined at Hillsborough by older brother Shea, on loan from Southampton. The 19-year-old goalkeeper has been linked with Premier League clubs in a breakthrough season for club and country. Playing regular minutes under Danny Rohl is a challenge, though, with Brighton & Hove Albion loanee James Beadle holding the No 1 shirt for Wednesday, but Charles has impressed in four Carabao Cup games.
Add to that four full matches for Northern Ireland’s senior team in the Nations League against Belarus (twice), Bulgaria and Luxembourg, in which he only conceded two goals, it is easy to see why Charles is garnering attention.
Charles has played as many games for Northern Ireland this season as he has Wednesday (Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
Formerly of Manchester City’s academy before making the switch to Wednesday, Charles is a talented shot-stopper with the potential to become first choice at the club. Intriguingly, his contract is set to end in the summer.
Azaz is finding his groove under Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough on the back of an impressive and gradual rise through the leagues in the EFL. Formerly on the books at West Brom and Aston Villa, the 24-year-old midfielder enjoyed successful loan spells at Cheltenham Town, Newport County and Plymouth Argyle before landing a permanent move to the Riverside in January 2024.
GO DEEPER
Finn Azaz – a footballer who wants to make a difference on and off the pitch
It feels inevitable that his creativity and goal threat from midfield will put him on the radar of Premier League teams after playing a leading role in Boro’s impressive campaign.
His six goals in 2024-25 have him on course for his best scoring season, while he has been rewarded for his performances at club level with call-ups for the Republic of Ireland this year. Azaz has the perfect mentor in former Manchester United and England midfielder Carrick to help him get the best out of himself.
Attacking midfielder Aasgaard was born in Liverpool and has Gerard as his middle name — whether pure coincidence or foreshadowing of his football potential, it is a fun comparison for the 22-year-old.
On the books at Liverpool before joining Wigan Athletic, the Norway youth international has an impressive goals reel, with a number of strikes from distance in his four-year senior career at the DW Stadium. His classy finish in the 2-0 win derby win over Bolton Wanderers underlined his quality.
𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙎𝙀 𝙇𝙄𝙈𝘽𝙎.
Thelo sealing the Derby Day W in front of the travelling Tics. 🪄#wafc ⚫️🟡 pic.twitter.com/ib1sSD3Xv9
— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) December 15, 2024
Wigan’s administration in 2020-21 fast-tracked Aasgaard’s progress into the first team, along with a number of fellow academy players, meaning he has played a significant amount of football for his age. He has developed well and made 44 appearances in all competitions for Wigan last season as well as scoring four goals, a tally he has already surpassed as he hits his stride in 2024-25.
Aasgaard signed an improved deal until 2028 in 2023, proof that Wigan know they have a special talent in their ranks, but will he remain in blue and white until then?
One for the summer window… Kwame Poku, Peterborough United
Poku scored 10 goals in League One for Peterborough before picking up a hamstring injury in early December that required surgery. His recovery is set to keep him sidelined for three months, which will rule him out of any move in January, but keep the 23-year-old on your radar.
Tipped by manager Darren Ferguson as the best player in the league before his injury, Poku will hope to return to the same form he was in before his injury after his 10 goals and five assists sent him to the top of the League One scoring charts
🪄 A bit of magic from our number 1️⃣1️⃣#pufc pic.twitter.com/3TVRYcPH9U
— Peterborough United (@theposh) September 14, 2024
Now overtaken by Louie Barry — another one to watch as his next loan period away from Aston Villa is decided upon after leaving Stockport County — Poku had scooped two successive player of the month awards in September and October.
After a grounding in spells at Cray Wanderers and Worthing, Poku joined Colchester United for two years in 2019 before his 2021 move to Peterborough. Out of contract in the summer, Poku has one senior international appearance for Ghana from an African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sao Tome and Principe in 2021.
(Top photo: Esse, of Millwall, and Sunderland’s Bellingham; by Getty Images)
