West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City are just a few of a number of clubs who have had relatively recent experiences in the Premier League and are fighting to get back to the top-flight.
It is easy to fade away in the Championship and rarely compete at either end of the pitch, even with recent Premier League history. Just ask Queens Park Rangers or Stoke City.
James Morrison and Philippe Clement are looking to lead their respective teams back to the top division, though, and having difference-making attackers will be key to any promotion push.
There have been plenty of talented centre-forwards to come through the Championship in recent years, and perhaps none more talented than former Watford star Joao Pedro.
Joao Pedro’s journey to becoming one of the Premier League’s best strikers
The Brazilian striker joined the Hornets from Fluminense whilst they were in the Premier League in January 2020, but he only played 22 minutes in the top-flight before they were relegated to the Championship.
In the 2020/21 campaign, Joao Pedro racked up nine goals and two assists in 38 appearances in the second tier to earn promotion back to the big time.
Unfortunately, he only scored three goals in 28 matches in the Premier League as Watford were sent straight back down to the Championship, but that experience helped him to star for the club in the 2022/23 season.
|
22/23 Championship |
Joao Pedro |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
35 |
|
Goals |
11 |
|
Minutes per goal |
234 |
|
Big chances missed |
4 |
|
Big chances created |
8 |
|
Assists |
4 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
54% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
48% |
Joao Pedro delivered consistent quality for Watford in the second tier with 19 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 35 appearances, which earned him a move to Brighton that summer.
After scoring 30 goals and providing ten assists in 70 matches for the Seagulls, Chelsea swooped to sign the Brazil international for a fee of £60m in the summer of 2025.
Since signing for the Blues, the 24-year-old talent has scored 26 goals and supplied 12 assists in 58 appearances, including three goals and three assists in four Premier League games this term.
West Brom and Norwich have their own versions of Joao Pedro
Joao Pedro is currently top of the Premier League charts for goals and assists combined (six) and he became one of the top forwards in the division by gaining experience in the Championship.
Now, Norwich and West Brom both boast centre-forwards who already look like they are on their way to becoming the Championship’s next version of the Brazilian striker.
In the summer transfer window, the Baggies agreed a fee of up to £5m to sign Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Chelsea, and he has hit the ground running at The Hawthorns.
The England U20 international has scored three goals from 1.87 xG and provided three assists for his teammates in eight appearances in the league this season, showcasing a Joao Pedro-esque ability to score and create goals from a number nine position.
Morgan, who scored 14 goals on loan at Peterborough United in the 2025/26 campaign, is working his way up the leagues after playing in League One last term, and already looks at home in the Championship.
The 20-year-old talent is not the only young striker who looks like he has the potential to follow Joao Pedro’s footsteps towards the Premier League, though, as Norwich have also hit the jackpot with Mohamed Toure.
|
Mohamed Toure (Championship) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
11 |
7 |
|
xG |
7.00 |
2.41 |
|
Goals |
9 |
7 |
|
Big chances missed |
5 |
2 |
|
Conversion rate |
43% |
45% |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
2 |
|
Assists |
3 |
0 |
Clement’s side signed the Australia international from Randers for £3m in January of this year and he hit the ground running in the Championship with nine goals in 11 matches in the second half of last season.
There is always caution with strikers who have a fast start at clubs, though, in case it was a flash in the pan and they end up being a one-season wonder.
Toure’s start to the 2026/27 campaign, however, has proven that he has the quality to sustainably score goals at an impressive rate at Championship level, with five goals in seven appearances.
Only Cyle Larin (seven) and Will Lankshear (six) have scored more goals in the division than Norwich’s number 21, who has scored 16 goals in 21 matches for the club in all competitions.
Morgan and Toure, aged 20 and 22 respectively, look to be two of the most exciting young centre-forwards in the Championship, given their performances for West Brom and Norwich, and could follow the path laid out by Joao Pedro.
If they fail to get promoted with their current clubs, teams in the Premier League may take interest in them, and that would provide them with the platform to impress even bigger clubs if they can deliver in the top-flight.
West Brom and Norwich, though, will be hoping that their star attackers will spearhead a promotion to the top division this season, so that they do not have to worry about cashing in on their players.