Top 8 EFL Championship strikers you simply need to watch out for in 2026/27 | OneFootball

Football League World looks at some of the frontmen in the Championship next season who could be in for an impactful year

It feels like a while since there was a real depth of quality strikers in the Championship, but the 2026/27 campaign may be the one where that returns.

Between the 2018/19 and 2023/24 campaigns, you needed to score 26 goals to win a Golden Boot, and sometimes that even wasn't enough, with the likes of Teemu Pukki, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ivan Toney and more setting down a bar that hasn't been overcome in recent years.

Indeed, Joel Piroe won the Golden Boot with just 19 goals in 2024/25. This past season, Zan Vipotnik at least broke past the 20-goal barrier, but he was the only person in the second tier to do so.

Championship fans have been crying out for a real Golden Boot battle to return, and this upcoming campaign could see that happen.

Here are eight strikers that you must be keeping tabs on ahead of the 2026/27 second-tier campaign.

August Priske

It was a difficult first half-season in English football for 22-year-old August Priske, as the Danish under-21 international struggled to get acclimatised to the Championship in such a short space of time.

Birmingham City spent a reported £6 million on Priske in January, after he netted 19 times in 28 games for Djurgardens during the 2025 Swedish top-flight campaign, but he only managed one goal at St Andrew's in 17 Championship appearances.

Crucially, though, only three of his first 11 outings were from the off, as he battled with Marvin Ducksh for the starting striker spot. Priske started the final six games, and Birmingham looked better with him leading the line, going on a five-game unbeaten run to end the year.

His sole goal came on the final day against Portsmouth, which could be a good omen for a strong 2026/27 campaign with a full pre-season behind him.

Yousef Salech

Championship fans got a taste of Yousef Salech in the final months before Cardiff City were relegated in the 2024/25 campaign, after he arrived midway through the year from another Swedish side, Sirius.

The Bluebirds' relegation wasn't due to poor finishing from him, though, as he netted a respectable eight goals in 20 second-tier games. He's backed that up with a further 14 in 34 League One games this season to help his side secure an immediate promotion.

The six-foot-five frontman is the focal point of Brian Barry-Murphy's attack, and if Cardiff are to ensure they survive in their Championship return, Salech will have to have a good year in front of goal - something he is very capable of doing.

David Strelec

Like with Priske, it's important not to immediately write off a striker who has spent a little longer acclimatising himself to new surroundings after signing from a different country, and David Strelec didn't exactly hit the ground running at Middlesbrough this season.

The 25-year-old was one of Boro's marquee signings last summer, arriving from Slovan Bratislava in a deal worth up to £8.5 million. His final full year at his former club saw him net 25 in 48 games in all competitions, including two in the UEFA Champions League.

Therefore, just eight goals in 32 games at the Riverside isn't what many feel is a worthwhile return. Boro have been criticised for being rather toothless in front of goal under Kim Hellberg, despite the chances they create, and Strelec has been one of the main subjects of that criticism.

But, despite a goalless play-off run, the 25-year-old did manage three of those eight goals in the final four games of the regular campaign, and if he can carry that momentum into his second EFL season, he could put away a lot more of the chances that Middlesbrough create.

Mohamed Toure

Mohamed Toure didn't spend much time getting used to the Championship, though, as the Australian international managed to net two hat-tricks in just seven second-tier starts after moving mid-season from Danish outfit Rangers.

Many second-tier defences were powerless to stop the new Norwich City talisman, and if not for a muscle injury which took him out for over a month, the 22-year-old could have easily added to the nine goals he netted in just 11 league games for the Canaries.

A lot of people are excited to see what Norwich can do under Philippe Clement in his first full season at the helm, following their meteoric rise from relegation candidates to top-six hopefuls under the Belgian.

And if Toure can replicate what we've already seen from him in his first full campaign at Carrow Road, the 22-year-old could easily be atop the goalscoring charts.

Richard Kone

Richard Kone enjoyed a respectable first Championship season this past year at QPR, managing to cross double-digit goals in his final appearance of the campaign against Derby County.

There was a lot of anticipation surrounding what the 22-year-old could do in the second tier following his breakout campaign with Wycombe Wanderers the year before, netting 19 in all competitions, leading to his move, which could cost the Hoops £5 million.

While just the 10 goals in 43 league outings may have fallen short of the lofty expectations he set himself, it sets a good foundation for a strong second season in the second-tier.

Kone's still developing, and he could easily better that tally in 2026/27 as the Rs look to insert themselves into play-off contention under Julien Stephan in his second year in the Loftus Road dugout.

Zan Vipotnik

However, you shouldn't just be looking out for strikers who have shown potential to hit 20+ goals next season. In fact, sometimes a potent goalscorer is already right there and ready to improve on a Golden Boot-winning campaign.

Zan Viptonik was tied down to a fresh deal at Swansea City towards the tail end of last season, indicating that he'll still be leading the line for Vitor Matos in 2026/27, unless a big offer comes in for the Slovenian over the summer.

Vipotnik scored 23 goals in 44 games last season, and if he's sticking around in the second tier, all eyes will be on whether he can replicate, or even better, that tally.

Questions were asked about the longevity of the 24-year-old's scoring powers throughout the campaign, as those 23 goals came from an expected goal tally of just 13.42, and his non-penalty xG was less than 10, per Fotmob.

There'll be some sceptics about whether Vipotnik can replicate that tally if his xG remains that low, so there'll no doubt be eyes on the Slovenian next season, if he's still a Championship frontman.

Pablo

It's unknown whether West Ham's multi-million-pound stars will be sticking around for the upcoming Championship campaign, after their 14-year stay in the Premier League ended this past season.

As of early June, that question is yet to be answered, but if Pablo sticks around, the Hammers could finally see some of that scoring prowess that they spent up to £20.9 million on in January.

Granted, the Brazilian is yet to find the back of the net in a West Ham shirt, but it's clear that the 22-year-old knows where it is, having scored 10 in 13 Liga Portugal games for Gil Vicente before his Premier League move.

A drop-down to the Championship may be a route back to those types of scoring numbers for Pablo, as he'd be playing for one of the more dominant sides in the division, who won't find it difficult to create chances for him to finish.

Ultimately, it depends if he stays at the club. If he does, he'll be one to keep an eye on next year.

Adam Armstrong

And finally, it's hard not to end the list on one of the most prolific second-tier goalscorers in recent memory, and Adam Armstrong will be back in the Championship with Wolves, just months after signing with the Molineux-based club in January.

Before then, the 29-year-old had scored 11 times for Southampton in 29 Championship outings. His last full year in the second tier saw him net 24 times, including the winning goal in the play-off final for the Saints, alongside 13 assists, too.

He's also had a 28-goal campaign with Blackburn Rovers, which resulted in his move to St Mary's back in 2021 for £15 million.

Overall, he's scored 91 times in the second tier, and you'd bank on him becoming the eighth person to cross 100 goals in the division next season, as Wolves aim to get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.