The 5 EFL Championship clubs who actually belong in the Premier League | OneFootball

FLW outline five Championship clubs who "belong" in the Premier League, including title-winners Leicester City and more...

The Championship has long been described as one of the toughest divisions in world football. Every season, a number of clubs with significant pedigree, large fanbases, and rich histories find themselves battling away for a place in the Premier League.

It's fair to say that many fans and neutrals alike would argue that they are competing below where they truly belong by playing in the Championship. However, of course, modern football is ultimately decided by matters on the pitch, and what the final league table says across a 46-game campaign.

Yet, when discussing English football’s traditional heavyweights, there are always a handful of clubs whose size, history, and support feel synonymous with the top flight. Some have experienced recent Premier League success, while others built their reputations decades earlier, but their stature still carries weight today.

The five Championship clubs who are the most Premier League in size, stature, and history

Looking across the current Championship landscape in 2025/26, several clubs clearly stand out for their scale and achievements in English football. Whether it’s historical honours, passionate support bases, or long-standing top-flight heritage, these are the teams that many would argue belong in the Premier League conversation.

There are a number of factors which come into play regarding this topic. However, in no particular order, here we have looked into five Championship clubs whose stature arguably makes them natural fits for the top flight.

Leicester City

Leicester City’s place on this list is almost unquestionable purely because of what they have achieved in the modern era. Their miraculous triumph in the 2015/16 Premier League remains one of the most remarkable sporting stories ever, instantly cementing their legacy in English football history. Add to that a 2021 FA Cup Final victory and multiple years competing in European competition, and Leicester’s stature has grown enormously. Even before that title-winning campaign, the Foxes had long been a recognised top-flight club. Their fanbase, infrastructure, and recent pedigree mean they feel far more like a Premier League mainstay than a Championship participant, in spite of their current league position in 2026.

Few clubs outside the traditional “Big Six” have spent as much time in England’s top division as West Brom. Founder members of the Football League and winners of the 1968 FA Cup Final, the Baggies possess a history that naturally aligns with top-flight football. The Hawthorns has hosted countless seasons of elite competition, and their support base remains one of the most loyal in the Midlands. While recent decades have seen a familiar pattern of promotion and relegation, West Brom’s historical pedigree and consistent competitiveness make them feel like a club that belongs in the Premier League. Like Leicester, that is despite a difficult 2025/26 campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday

Given their struggles this season, it's fair to say that the Championship has some of the most traditional, historic, and largest clubs in the league embroiled in a relegation battle this season. Given recent struggles, Sheffield Wednesday’s case rests heavily on historical significance. With four English league titles and three FA Cups to their name, the Owls are one of the most decorated clubs outside the current Premier League regulars. Hillsborough has been home to top-flight football for large stretches of the club’s existence, and their passionate support base continues to turn out in huge numbers despite years of instability. While it has been decades since Wednesday were truly competitive at the highest level, their stature within English football history still feels deeply connected to the top division.

Southampton

Only 10 clubs in English football have competed in more Premier League seasons (25) and won more points (1,110) than Southampton. Their modern reputation has largely been built in the Premier League era. No club outside the traditional elite has spent as many seasons in the competition, with the Saints becoming a familiar presence in the top flight for much of the last three decades. The club has also built a reputation for producing elite talent through its academy, with players such as Gareth Bale and Alan Shearer emerging from their youth system. Combine that pedigree with a strong fanbase and consistent infrastructure, and Southampton still feel very much like a Premier League club temporarily passing through the Championship.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn’s place in English football history is secure thanks to their iconic 1994/95 Premier League title win under Kenny Dalglish. That achievement remains one of the most memorable in the league’s history and ensured Rovers would forever be associated with the Premier League story. Alongside Leicester, they are the only club outside of the top flight to win it and two of only seven to have won it since 1992. Beyond that triumph, Blackburn were also a major force in the early years of English football, winning multiple league titles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their long-standing top-flight presence and loyal support base mean they still carry the aura of a club that should be competing among England’s elite.

The honourable mentions for Premier League clubs playing in the Championship

Several other Championship clubs could also make a compelling case to be included in a list of sides that “belong” in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on the top five and deserving of an honourable mention.

Sheffield United are one such side. With a proud history that includes a league title and four FA Cups, the Blades have long been associated with top-flight football. Their passionate support at Bramall Lane and several Premier League spells in the modern era underline their stature as a Championship heavyweight at worst.

Middlesbrough also have a strong argument, having won a trophy in the modern era. The Teesside outfit were Premier League regulars throughout the 2000s, winning the 2004 EFL Cup Final and reaching the 2006 UEFA Cup Final. It was a remarkable run that cemented their reputation on the European stage, too.

Coventry City had a long spell in the top flight and could be about to return to it in 2026 at long last, while Derby County boast significant historical success, including two First Division titles in the 1970s. Ipswich Town possess an equally impressive pedigree with a league title and the 1981 UEFA Cup Final triumph under Bobby Robson.

Bolton Wanderers are not a Championship club, but they were a huge part of the 'Barclays' era of the Premier League. They are arguably the biggest and most historic club outside of the top two tiers. Another club of that same era, finally, is Portsmouth; they remain one of the most passionately supported clubs outside the top flight and were FA Cup winners as recently as the 2008 FA Cup Final.

Birmingham City are another heavyweight name for the Championship and another club with a trophy since the turn of the millennium. However, all are near misses with histories and fanbases that keep them firmly in the conversation — but just missing out on the top five.