The top 15 best EFL Championship strikers | OneFootball

There have been plenty of impressive showings from Championship strikers this season, but who makes our top 15 best strikers in the second tier?

The debate as to which Championship club has the best striker is one that will spark plenty of debate amongst fanbases.

It's difficult to judge a striker purely off their goal tally, as there are many other factors to be taken into account when making up the best striker in the second tier.

Plenty of the best Championship forwards are more than capable of making the step-up to the Premier League, and it'll be interesting to see what the future holds for some of them heading towards the summer transfer window.

Here at Football League World, we'll take you through the top-15 strikers in the Championship in descending order.

15 ? ? Richard Kone

Kone caught the eye for all the right reasons whilst with Wycombe Wanderers, where he scored 25 goals in 74 appearances for the Chairboys.

Those strong performances seemingly didn't go unnoticed though, with the forward being snapped up by QPR ahead of the 2025/26 season, where he's wasted no time in settling into his new surroundings.

Kone has been a regular in the QPR starting XI, and has adjusted well to the step-up into the Championship, and he'll fancy his chances of progressing further up the English football pyramid moving forward.

14 ? ? Mihailo Ivanovic

Millwall forward, Mihailo Ivanovic is in at number 14 on our list, with the 21-year-old impressing in his first couple of seasons with the Lions.

The Serbian international still has his best years ahead of him, but the early signs are promising, as he's on course to reach double figures on his goal tally for the second successive season with Millwall in the Championship.

Alex Neil's side are in the hunt for promotion into the Premier League this season, and the Millwall boss will be hoping that Ivanovic can continue to keep them in the mix for a top-two finish.

13 ? ? Aune Heggebo

There hasn't been many positives for West Brom supporters to get excited about in recent years, but Aune Heggebø is one of the few players they probably look forward to watching each week.

The Danish striker has shown his clinical edge in front of goal for the Baggies in the 2025/26 season, and could potentially attract interest from elsewhere if West Brom are to struggle in their bid to stay afloat in the Championship.

He's a player with a bright future ahead of him if his first stint in English football is anything to go by.

12 ? ? George Hirst

Hirst started his career with Sheffield Wednesday, before moving to Leicester City in 2019. A series of loan moves with the likes of Rotherham United, Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, and Ipswich Town followed that, and it was at Ipswich where he seemingly made a particularly good impression.

He signed permanently for the Tractor Boys the following season after his loan spell, and has been a regular in Kieran McKenna's starting XI for much of this season.

He's repaid that faith with plenty of goals, and will be relishing the prospect of potentially playing Premier League football next season with Ipswich.

11 ? ? Carlton Morris

Morris has played for Luton Town, Norwich City, Rotherham United, Barnsley, and now Derby County in the Championship, and he's a solid option to have in attack for any team in the second tier.

The former Luton forward played a starring role in the Hatters' dream promotion into the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, as he scored 20 goals in 44 league appearances for them.

He's now playing for Derby County, and the Rams supporters will be keen to see him add to his eye-catching goal tally from now until the end of the season, with Derby firmly in the race for a top six finish.

10 ? ? Tommy Conway

Tommy Conway is up next on our list, with the Middlesbrough forward impressing for Boro and Bristol City in his professional career to date.

He's a real bundle of energy in attack, and has scored some crucial goals for Middlesbrough, as they look to make a timely return to the Premier League this season.

The 23-year-old has clearly been impressed with the impact that manager, Kim Hellberg has made in his time with the club, previously heaping praise on his new boss.

Conway is more than capable of adjusting to the demands of Premier League football, and it'll be interesting to see if Boro can hold their nerve in the battle for promotion.

9 ? ? Ellis Simms

Simms struggled for much of an opportunity with Everton in the early stages of his professional career, but has caught the eye elsewhere since departing the Premier League club.

Loan spells with the likes of Blackpool, Hearts, and Sunderland benefitted his career, although it's at Coventry City where he's made a name for himself on a permanent basis.

The Oldham-born striker has featured heavily for the Sky Blues over the years, and has scored some hugely important goals for them, which have been vital this term in particular, as they look destined to win promotion into the top-flight.

8 ? ? Joe Gelhardt

Gelhardt is the sort of striker that is a defender's nightmare throughout a game. Centre-backs don't get much time on the ball at all with Gelhardt's press, which has been hugely successful for Hull City this season.

The former England youth international has regularly been in the goals for the Tigers this season, and will have certainly caught the eye of Leeds United supporters.

Gelhardt is still only 23, and has a lot to offer at this level moving forward, and so it'll be interesting to see if he has a long-term future with Leeds.

7 ? ? Jay Stansfield

Birmingham City signed Stansfield from Fulham for a reported fee in the region of £15million, which raised plenty of eyebrows for a club that were playing in the third tier of English football at the time.

He had a hugely impressive record in League One with Birmingham last season, and was key to their promotion back into the Championship, in what was a memorable campaign from start to finish.

Birmingham are a club with great ambition, and Stansfield will have a key role to play for them moving forward, especially if he can continue to develop as a player.

The Hull City forward is somewhat of a pantomime villain with opposing clubs, but he must be doing something right on the pitch in that case.

McBurnie has been key to Hull's somewhat surprising push for promotion into the Premier League this term, and has formed a strong partnership in attack with Leeds United loanee, Joe Gelhardt.

McBurnie's impressive record with Swansea City earlier in his career saw him earn a move to Sheffield United whilst they were in the top-flight, and the Scotsman will be keen to return to the Premier League at the earliest of opportunities, as he's certainly good enough to step up from the Championship.