The Football League is often overlooked by Premier League sides during transfer windows.
It’s not too often that you see a top Premier League side decide to buy a top player from the league below or the league below that, instead preferring to go and buy a player from abroad instead.
However, it doesn’t mean there is a shortage of talent at Football League level, with several players all lighting up the Championship, League 1 and League 2.
A number of these players could potentially make it in the Premier League if given the chance.
Everton have already signed promising youngster Ademola Lookman from Charlton, while West Ham have also tabled bids for Brentford’s Scott Hogan and with so many teams actually looking to recruit from the lower leagues for once, we have decided to do a Top 10 Football league players who could move up to the Premier League article.
In this list will be players who are either interesting Premier League sides at the moment or have shown they talent to make it if given the chance or both. The players are also a mixture of ages from promising youngsters to older, proven stars.
Here we go…
Current Club – Barnsley
Age – 19
Teams Interested?
Yes, there’s been heavy interest from a number of Premier League sides. Man City, Man United and Arsenal have all been considering moves for him.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He has certainly shown signs that he could do well at the top level. He’s only young but he has shown flashes of brilliance for Barnsley in the Championship this season and he is already drawing comparisons to John Stones at Man City (despite playing at right-back and not centre-back) due to his talent levels.
He is capable of playing the ball out from the back with ease and helping start attacks that way and he is capable of running at defenders himself and floating crosses into the box for his teammates to feed off. A threat in attack and useful in defence, he could be one to watch for the future.
Unfortunately, we might not get to see him in the Premier League too soon. Despite interest from the likes of Arsenal and Man United, it is actually Aston Villa who are leading the race to sign him. They’re set to make a bid and if they do sign him, he’ll still be plying his trade in the Championship for the time being (unless Villa go up at the end of the season that is!)
2. Scott Hogan
Current Club – Brentford
Age – 24
Teams Interested?
Yes and yet again it’s interest from the Premier League. West Ham are desperate to sign him and have already made two bids to try and seal a deal for him this month. They look likely to keep trying and it means we could see him in the top flight before this month is over.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He certainly seems like he would be able to. The striker has a tremendous finishing ability, as showcased by his time at Brentford. This season he’s bagged himself 14 goals in 25 games and he’ll be hungry for more as the season continues.
He’s also good when he has the ball at his feet and can take the ball, get himself into a good position and then fire one into the back of the net too. Still aged only 24, there’s room for him to get even better too.
Andre Gray – who has made the step-up to the Premier League quite well with Burnley – also played for Brentford before going to the top flight with Turf Moor side.
Could we be seeing it again here with Hogan? Could he follow in Gray’s footsteps by making a move to West Ham and then continuing to fire in the goals? We’ll have to wait and see!
3. Jamaal Lascelles
Current Club – Newcastle
Age – 23
Teams Interested?
Not from the Premier League so far. The defender isn’t currently being linked with any other sides – something which is bound to please Newcastle fans!
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He has actually already been tested out in the top flight, as he featured several times for Newcastle last season. Although he started off shakily, he gradually improved and was beginning to shine in the top flight as the season came to an end.
The centre-back has since been handed the captain’s armband at the club and since then, it has seemed to spur him on even more.
He has gone from strength-to-strength this year and if given the chance again in the Premier League, he could definitely hold his own judging off his current performances.
A leader with good tackling ability, who is strong in the air and able to score goals with his head from set-pieces, he has become a valuable asset to Newcastle and if they get back into the Premier League next year, he could show everyone in the top flight just how good he is.
4. Will Hughes
Current Club – Derby County
Age – 21
Teams Interested?
There have been several Premier League sides interested in the past, with sides like Liverpool and Arsenal all keeping an eye on him. However, this month there has so far been no speculation linking him with a move to any Premier League or Championship side.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He certainly seems to have the talent to be able to – and some of the league’s big sides would agree, with many keeping tabs on him over the years. Hughes has impressed over the last few seasons for Derby and has become a key player for the club.
Hughes – who can play in the centre of midfield or even as a defensive midfielder – has a fantastic passing ability and is able to string passes together and control the play himself.
He can start attacks with a killer ball through the defence or help his side control the game with steady passing in the middle of the field.
He’s still only young too and there is plenty of time to increase his ability and become an even better player. It’s inevitable that a Premier League side will end up snapping him up one day.
5. Fernando Forestieri
Current Club – Sheffield Wednesday
Age – 26
Teams Interested?
No Premier League sides have expressed an interest but he had been linked with a move away from Sheffield Wednesday, with Newcastle interested. However, he penned a new deal at Hillsborough yesterday and has committed his future to the club.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He missed out on the getting into the top flight with former team Watford after being sold to Sheffield Wednesday – and the Hornets are likely regretting that decision now!
Although he was lacklustre and not at his best in that final season at Watford – which ultimately led to him being sold – he has since proven to be one of the Championship’s best players.
He has become a key member of the Sheffield Wednesday team and he is arguably ten times the player that he formerly was before his move to Hillsborough.
He is often sensational with a ball at his feet when dribbling at the opposition and he can both score and assist too. He has six goals and three assists so far this season from 15 games.
In addition, he is quite versatile too. He can play as a forward or as an attacking midfielder and when played on the left for Sheffield Wednesday this season, he wasn’t fazed by it – in fact, he scored!
Given the chance, he could prove to fit right into the Premier League
6. Anthony Knockaert
Current Club – Brighton
Age – 25
Teams Interested?
No team has shown any interest in him this month or over the last few months, which is surprising considering how well he has been doing for Brighton.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He’s been in the Premier League before with former club Leicester but struggled to prove himself, mainly because of a lack of gametime.
However, if given the chance again he could be much improved. Since his move to Brighton he has excelled and he has become one of the club’s best players and one of the reasons why they have stormed to the top end of the Championship over the last two seasons.
Knockaert’s set-piece ability is deadly and he is just as fantastic in open play too. He can score and assist and his passing is often incredible – he is capable of sometimes seeing a run and making an inch perfect pass to a teammate to help them on the attack before the opposition have even realised.
About to reach his ‘prime’ as well, now could be the time for someone in the Premier League to potentially sign him up.
7. Alan Judge
Current Club – Brentford
Age – 28
Teams Interested?
There has been a fair amount of interest in Judge from other Championship sides but not from anyone in the top flight as of yet. Swansea have considered a move for him in the past but they have shown no signs of following up on that interest anytime soon.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
Judging by his displays in the Championship, he could be one of the people on this list most likely to do well in the top flight if ever given the chance.
It’s hard to find much weakness in the attacking midfielder’s game. His passing is impeccable, when gifted a free-kick in a dangerous area he is always a threat and his tackling and finishing ability is also impressive.
Judge can score, setup a teammate in open-play or from a set-piece and he has slowly established himself as one of the best in the Championship.
It’s no wonder several teams are chasing him – but Brentford will be hoping that nobody ends up signing him.
8. Bradley Dack
Current Club – Gillingham
Age – 23
Teams Interested?
There have been a number of sides from various leagues linked with him in the past but recently there hasn’t been a lot of interest in signing him.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
He may be plying his trade in League 1 but it could be worth taking a gamble on the talented 23-year old.
He has become one of Gillingham’s star players and has lit up League 1 with his displays. The midfielder is classy on the ball and can score from his position too, as well as setting up his teammates.
Not afraid to put a tackle in either, he always runs and works hard for his side to try and help them secure the win in each game they play.
Although a move straight into the Premier League seems unlikely – he is more likely to make a move up to the Championship before getting to the top flight – he is showcasing that he has a tremendous ability at Gillingham and that any team that did choose to sign him would seemingly be getting a great player.
9. Ross McCormack
Current Club – Aston Villa
Age – 30
Teams Interested?
There is a lot of interest from clubs in the Championship, with Aston Villa reportedly looking to let go of the striker. Wolves and Fulham are considering loan bids while Norwich are considering a permanent swoop. A Premier League side should maybe take a gamble on the forward.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
Although the oldest player on this list at 30-years old, he is a proven goalscorer and could prove to be a valuable addition to a Premier League side if they did decide to sign him.
At most of the clubs he has played for in England on a permanent basis, he has continued to be a proven and capable finisher. He has found the back of the net on a consistent basis for practically all of his former clubs, with current club Aston Villa being the only exception.
Not only is he a goalscorer but he can sometimes create a chance for himself and his side out of nothing due to his pace and fantastic ability on the ball.
McCormack may have entered his thirties but with Villa looking to let him go, if a smaller Premier League side decided to sign him, the striker could be a bargain buy.
10. Josh Morris
Current Club – Scunthorpe United
Age – 25
Teams Interested?
Not currently but with the way he has been playing in League 1 they probably should be.
Could he cut it in the Premier League?
Again, like Bradley Dack, it would be highly unlikely to see a Premier League side swoop for him straight away. Premier League sides tend to only really turn to League 1 for young talent that have burst onto the scene and impressed (see most recently: Dele Alli).
However, Morris has done incredibly well this season at Scunthorpe, adding goals to his game from midfield. This isn’t the first season he has done well in League 1 (or League 2) either with his loan spells at Fleetwood Town showing that he was capable at this level.
Since moving to Scunthorpe he has really begun to shine though and he has been one of the standout players so far this season, with his side now challenging at the top end of League 1.
It means that would soon see him in the Championship and if he continues to impress and carry his form into the second tier, than another Championship side or even a top flight side might just decide to take a risk on him. It could prove to be worth it.