The EFL championship returns for the 2025/26 season with a competitive field, a handful of favorites and the usual atmosphere of uncertainty.
Distributed clubs arrive with Premier League experience and Parachute payments, while ambitious parties want to disrupt the order. Every club is confronted with questions – from financial pressure and management change to team of strength and expectations.
The path to promotion rarely runs smoothly and this year there will be no exception.
Here is a club-by-club perspective on the hopeful promotion, aimed at summer transfers, ownership, budgets and the broader expectations of each club.
Leicester
Leicester returns to the championship under a cloud. Relegation of the Premier League was followed by Management Story, with Marti Cifuentes now commissioning to stabilize a team that has been stripped of various experienced players.
The ownership of the club under Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha is confronted with open criticism from supporters after a summer without significant signing sessions and important departure, including Jamie Vardy.
The promotion opportunities remain reasonable, but with financial worries and talking about possible points deduction, the prospects of Leicester are far from simple.
At the time of writing this summer, Leicester made only one confirmed incoming signature: defender Woyo Coulibaly from Parma for around £ 3 million. In the meantime, 11 players were released, including Club Legends Vardy, goalkeeper Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen.
The turnover in turnover suggests financial reluctance instead of ambition.
The expectation is clear: immediate promotion. But instability on the board and supporter level, minimal recruitment and team exhaustion make Leicester a long recording unless they quickly solve their home score problems.
Ipswich
The only season of Ipswich in the Premier League ended in fast relegation, but Faith in manager Kieran McKenna remains strong.
The last campaign Ipswich has spent heavily – more than £ 120 million including commercial signing sessions such as Liam Delap (£ 20 million) – but still suffered relegation.
Yet the team remains largely intact, with the addition of veterans Ashley Young and David Button on free transfers, as well as Azor Matusiwa from Rennes and defensive reinforcements such as Cedric Kipre.
The stability and collective approach of Ipswich make them leading favorites to return and expectations will be high.
If they can find a regular target threat to replace Delap, their promotion references look solid.
Southampton
Southampton starts with another championship campaign with an immediate return to the top flight.
Will is still appointed to guide a club that spent most of the summer instead of publishing, a net profit on the transfer market.
With a reformed team and parachute payments still in force, the expectation will remain high, although the need for emerging players to perform is clear.
Deviations have generated the income, but reinvestment has been minimal.
It is expected that the saints will be a challenge for promotion, supported by their infrastructure and parachute income.
Yet early adaptability with a reformed team and a dependence on youth will determine their success.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United has come close in recent years and enter the season with a fixed group, now led by Ruben Selles.
There have been no major selection frameworks at the time of writing, but also few large rooms, which means that the blades seem to be happy to rely on experience and continuity.
After having had a play-off heartache last time, automatic promotion is the indicated goal, although much depends on whether the core team can remain fit and consistent.
The grid aging and thin depth is risks about what traditionally a demanding season is.
Birmingham
Birmingham arrives on the back of a record-breaking League One title, so that energy and confidence are brought into the new season.
The side of Gary Rowett has plenty of attacking options, with exciting attacker Jay Stansfield accompanied by newcomers Kyogo Furuhashi and Demarai Gray.
The blues seem better in the hand than most newly promoted clubs, thanks to their stars-lined American property, including NFL legend Tom Brady, and can still strengthen if necessary in January.
Birmingham last season Flash score
While bookmakers stay careful, the dominant form of Birmingham from last season -when they broke the Football League record for most points in a season with 111 -and Squad Depth she could make real contenders for back -To -Back promotions.
Coventry
The Coventry side of Frank Lampard wants to build on the failed play-off performance of last season.
The activity of the summer transfer is somewhat limited, with only a handful of signing sessions completed this summer, headed by right back Kaine Kesler-Hayden for a reported £ 4 million from Aston Villa.
But additions such as England U21 Matt Grimes in January have already brought further quality to a team anchored by Jack Rudoni in midfield and Haji Wright in Attack.
A full summer camp with a relatively regular team can be everything needed for Lampard's side to launch a serious promotion.
The stability and the clear direction of Coventry under Lampard should at least see them stay in the play-off mix.
What the bookmakers say
Ipswich (4/1) and Southampton (11/2) are the early favorites of the Bookmakers, with Birmingham (15/2), Sheffield United (17/2), Coventry (14/1) and Leicester (14/1) also in the mix.
Honorable mentions and teams to keep an eye on are West Brom and Watford.
At the same time completing Middlesbrough, Norwich and Hollywood Wildcards Wrexham a field that, like ever, promises more questions than answers, and can look completely different after only a handful of competitions.
Follow the EFL championship with flash score.