The top 10 best EFL Championship midfielders | OneFootball

FLW has ranked the top 10 best midfielders in the EFL Championship right now

Football League World has ranked the top 10 midfielders currently playing in the EFL Championship, with some big names omitted from the list.

The EFL Championship table is taking shape following the end of the January transfer window, with teams making their final targets for the latter stages of the campaign.

The second tier is just about as competitive as ever, with almost everything still up for grabs; over two-thirds of the league will more than fancy their chance of breaking into the top six come May.

Numerous outstanding players have graced the Championship through the years before going on to play at a much higher level, and that trend looks set to continue with an outrageously talented crop of players representing teams across the division.

The midfield area, in particular, is arguably the most crucial and varied position on the pitch. Players operating as destroyers, playmakers, attacking-midfielders, and box-to-box midfielders all play in the middle of the park, with the Championship not shy of a wide range of skill sets.

With that being said, Football League World has attempted to rank the top 10 midfielders currently playing in the Championship, with some big names having been left out.

10 ? ? Nicolas Madsen

One of, if not the most underrated midfielder in the division, Queens Park Rangers' Nicolas Madsen has consistently been one of the R's standout performers on a weekly basis this campaign.

The Dane has been an ever-present in the heart of Julien Stephan's side this season, having taken his game to the next level under the French boss following his move from Belgian side Westerlo in the summer of 2024.

Madsen's low ranking on this list gives some insight as to the sheer level of competition ahead of him, though, should the 25-year-old carry on playing the way he is, it won't be long before teams across the continent come sniffing.

One half of Middlesbrough's outstanding midfield this campaign, USMNT player Aidan Morris, when fit, has been exceptional under both Rob Edwards and now Kim Hellberg this season.

Signed from MLS side Columbus Crew in the summer of 2024 for a reported fee of $4 million (£3.14 million), Morris has emerged as an integral figure in the middle of the park for Boro alongside Hayden Hackney (more on him beneath).

The 24-year-old's defensive work rate and ball-playing ability have been a key component to Boro's style of play under Hellberg, as the Teesside outfit set their sights on a long-awaited Premier League return, with Morris crucial to those efforts.

8 ? ? Azor Matusiwa

Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town side underwent a large overhaul in the middle of the park this summer following the departures of the likes of Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, and Kalvin Phillips, and sought several replacements.

According to L’Equipe, Ipswich agreed a fee worth €11.5 million (£9.9 million) plus add-ons for Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa from French side Rennes this summer, and he has subsequently shown why he commanded such a price with his performances at Portman Road.

Matusiwa has been one of the first names on the team sheet this season and an almost ever-present figure, partnering one of Jack Taylor, Jens Cajuste, or Dan Neil.

Should Ipswich earn an immediate return to the top flight this season, the Dutchman will have played an integral role in the process, being one of the best defensive-minded midfielders in the division.

7 ? ? Callum O'Hare

Arguably, Sheffield United's standout performer in what has been, by most accounts, a disappointing season at Bramall Lane, Callum O'Hare has been one of the division's most consistent attacking-midfielders since his debut in the second tier with Coventry City in 2020.

The Aston Villa youth academy graduate spent five seasons at the CBS Arena before his move to Bramall Lane in 2024 after running down his deal, and has continued to be a nuisance for Championship defenders since his switch.

Under Chris Wilder, O'Hare has been consistently one of the first names on the team sheet in South Yorkshire, and his importance to the side both in and out of possession cannot be understated.

6 ? ? Flynn Downes

Southampton's fortunes since relegation haven't been exactly what they had hoped for, having seen Will Still last just 16 games in charge before his dismissal and replaced by the club's Under-21 boss Tonda Eckert.

The Saints' form under Eckert has been inconsistent, but since taking charge of the side, he has made former Swansea City and West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes an integral figure in the middle of the park alongside Caspar Jander.

Downes, who joined Southampton for a reported £15 million in the summer of 2024 after a successful loan, has been a victim of the Saints' poor form over the past 18 months, but only a fool would deny the 27-year-old's undoubted talent, and it would not be surprising to see a Premier League return for the Englishman sooner rather than later.

5 ? ? Gustavo Hamer

Gustavo Hamer has consistently been one of the division's best midfield players across the past six-and-a-half years, initially being signed from Dutch side PEC Zwolle by Mark Robins’ Coventry City in the summer of 2020 before a £15 million move to current side Sheffield United in August 2023.

The Brazilian-born Dutchman has made just shy of 200 Championship appearances, averaging a direct goal contribution once every three games, as well as 36 appearances in the Premier League.

Under Chris Wilder this season, Hamer has played a large portion of his game out on the left flank, such as his versatility, and though he hasn’t been as prolific as he is capable of this campaign, he is still certainly one of the division's best at 28-years-old.

4 ? ? Marcelino Nunez

Marcelino Nunez made the controversial switch from Norwich City to Ipswich Town this summer in a deal worth £10 million, which certainly caused a stir among Canaries supporters.

Unfortunately for them, the Chilean has been excellent since his move south to Suffolk, emerging at the Tractor Boys’ creative hub and an excellent facilitator for both Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke on the flanks.

The only thing missing from Nunez’s game is goals; with him already being one of the division's best, if he can start hitting the back of the net more often, he will surely be playing Premier League football sooner rather than later, whether that is with Ipswich or not.

3 ? ? Matt Grimes

Matt Grimes and the EFL Championship go hand-in-hand, with the Englishman on the verge of 400 appearances in the second tier with Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United, Swansea City, and now Coventry City.

It was with Swansea where Grimes announced himself not only as one of the division's best deep midfield players, but as one of the most consistent too, having missed just four league matches between 2018 and 2025.

Now with Coventry and captaining the Sky Blues under the guidance of former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, at 30, it looks to be now or never for Grimes to make his way into the top flight, a division he is certainly more than capable of running games in.

2 ? ? Imran Louza

Moroccan midfielder Imran Louza has earned plaudits aplenty this season for his fine work in the middle of the park at Vicarage Road.

Having joined Watford for a fee of £10 million back in the summer of 2021, it is only this season that his talent has shone through and gained the recognition it deserves.

Able to defend, play precise passes, dribble, and score, there is very little that the 26-year-old can’t do, and it looks as though it is only a matter of time before he earns a big move elsewhere, unless he can fire the Hornets back to the Premier League.

1 ? ? Hayden Hackney

The top spot on this list was never really in doubt, with Hayden Hackney a Premier League player in waiting.

The Middlesbrough youth product has been far and away the best midfielder, and arguably the best player in the division this season, gaining interest from numerous teams in the top flight, but instead targeting a Premier League return with his boyhood club.

No matter what, this will be Hackney’s last season in the Championship for some time. If he is unable to guide Boro to the top flight, with one year remaining on his deal, the Teesside outfit will almost certainly be forced to cash in on their star asset, who they really couldn’t begrudge a move.

Excellent in all phases of the game, a large reason behind Boro’s success this season has been down to the performances of Hackney, and should they find themselves back in the top flight next season, a huge amount of the reasoning will be due to Hackney, who is the best midfielder in the league.