The best player at every Championship club (part one)

Anyone can beat anyone, no result is guaranteed and there are a lot of quality players throughout the division.

With the new season fast approaching thought we would take a look at the best players Watford will come up against next season in a two-part series.

Below are the top talents at 12 championship sides, with the rest to follow soon.

Barnsley – Alex Mowatt

Midfielder, aged 25

The former Leeds academy product made an early name for himself scoring long range screamers in the championship.

Now captain at Barnsley, he has rounded out his game and is a technical midfielder who provides energy and ability from box to box.

The Tykes’ player of the season, Mowatt made 44 appearances in 2019/20 scoring three goals and notching eight assists.

Birmingham City – Lukas Jutkiewicz

Forward, aged 31

The big number 10 knows how to put his body about and is always a handful for defenders. With 15 goals to his name last season, he is clearly no slouch in front of goal.

He was vital in helping keep The Blues up last season, starting in 44 games across all competitions.

Blackburn Rovers – Bradley Dack

Midfielder, aged 26

The wily midfield maestro missed most of Rovers’ games last season with injury. In the 24 games he did start he bagged 10 goals – nine in the league – and one assist.

So far, the man who was signed from Gillingham for an initial fee of £750,000, has made 114 appearances for Blackburn and scored a whopping 46 goals!

He will be pivotal in providing quality in the final third for Blackburn next season.

AFC Bournemouth – Callum Wilson

Forward, aged 28

The England international is the subject of intense transfer speculation, and unsurprisingly so, following yet another solid season up top bagging nine goals in 39 games.

The pacey striker has proved himself fit and healthy following lengthy injuries early in his career and will undoubtedly be pivotal to The Cherries chances of promotion back the Premier League – if they can keep a hold of him!

Brentford – Said Benrahma

Forward – aged 25

With so many sparkling talents up to its hard to pick a top player for The Bees. Championship player of the season Ollie Watkins, who bagged 25 league goals, seems the obvious choice but Algerian playmaker Benrahma stood out last year with his ability on the ball and the ease at which he could glide past defenders.

With 17 league goals and nine assists to his name last year, Benrahma terrorised defences as the pivotal man in Brentford’s famed BMW frontline – Benrahma, Marcondes, Watkins.

Again, Brentford face an uphill battle to keep hold of their star; if he remains at the club next season then expect many more goals and magical moments.

Bristol City – Famara Diedhiou

Forward, aged 27

The Senegalese international scored 14 goals in all competitions for The Robins last season.

Named player of the year for Bristol City, Diedhious is the club's top goalscorer two seasons in a row.

Cardiff City – Alex Smithies

Goalkeeper, aged 30

The 30-year-old shot stopper’s experience showed for The Bluebirds last year and was voted as fans’ player of the season.

The Huddersfield Town academy product started 30 league games last season.

Coventry City – Fankaty Dabo

Defender, aged 24

Right-back Dabo was named Coventry’s player of the season as they earned promotion to the championship.

Dabo joined Coventry on a three-year deal after his Chelsea contract ran out following three successive loans to Swindon Town, Vitesse Arnhem and Sparta Rotterdam.

Derby County – Jayden Bogle

Defender, aged 20

Another player linked with a Premier League move, the young right back stood out in what was a largely disappointing season for The Rams.

Bogle started 38 games in all competitions, scoring one goal, and bosses at Pride Park will be desperate to hold onto their young starlet.

Huddersfield Town – Karlan Ahearne-Grant

Forward, aged 22

The pacey striker bagged 19 league goals for The Terries in 43 games and was a major factor in keeping the club in The Championship.

Another product of the prolific academy at Charlton Athletic, Ahearne-Grant has scored 53 goals in 173 career games including four in the Premier League the year Huddersfield were relegated.

Luton Town – Harry Cornick

Forward, aged 25

Winger/striker Cornick scored nine goals for The Hatters as they pulled off a miraculous end of season run to stay it the division.

Cornick provided a constant threat up top with his mixture of pace and silky control, notching three assists in 45 matches.

Middlesborough – Britt Assombalonga

Forward, aged 27

Congolese international Assombalonga singed from Nottingham Forest for £15 million in 2017.

The 27-year-old has gone on to score 40 league goals for the Teeside club since, including 11 in 36 games last season.