West Bromwich Albion, Southampton, and Bristol City are just a few of the many clubs hoping to be among the three teams promoted to the Premier League this season.
All three teams are in the running to earn promotion from the Championship in the 2026/27 campaign, but there is still plenty of football left to be played between now and the end of the season.
James Morrison, Tonda Eckert, and Michael Skubala could all look to the January transfer window to add further quality to their squads to push for promotion in the second half of the campaign.
In the 2025/26 season, Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney won the Championship Player of the Year award, and West Brom, Southampton, and Bristol City could do with a player like him.
How Hayden Hackney became the Championship’s best player
The former England U21 international sealed a £16.5m transfer to Premier League side Everton in the summer transfer window, after being crowned the second tier’s best player for last season.
He earned that move to the top-flight and became the Championship’s best player by delivering consistently impressive performances in the middle of the park for Boro.
Hackney racked up five goals and seven assists in 39 appearances in the second division in the 2025/26 campaign, whilst also averaging 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game and 1.4 successful dribbles per match.
The 24-year-old midfield maestro was such an influential figure for Middlesbrough in the middle of the park because he could impact matches in a multitude of ways; by scoring goals, creating goals, making defensive contributions, and dribbling past defenders.
|
25/26 Championship |
Hayden Hackney |
Rank vs CMs |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
5 |
Top 8% |
|
Assists |
7 |
Top 3% |
|
Successful dribbles |
54 |
Top 2% |
|
Duels won |
186 |
Top 7% |
|
Touches |
3,247 |
Top 3% |
|
Ball recoveries |
205 |
Top 5% |
|
Possession won in final third |
33 |
Top 1% |
Hackney excelled across the park offensively and defensively, which is why he was so impressive for Boro, and his contributions earned him the Player of the Year award.
West Brom, Southampton, and Bristol City can sign their own Hackney
Now, several teams in the Championship may have the opportunity to sign the division’s next version of the former Middlesbrough midfield superstar.
According to OnTheMinute, West Bromwich Albion have joined the race to sign Viking central midfielder Kristoffer Askildsen in the January transfer window.
The report claims that fellow Championship sides Southampton and Bristol City have also been showing an interest in the Norwegian talent, and adds that all three teams are keeping tabs on his performances.
It adds that a strong end to the 2026 Eliteserien season could convince one of these three clubs to make a serious move for his services when the next transfer window opens at the turn of the year.
The 25-year-old talent is currently playing in the Norwegian top-flight and has caught the eye with his performances in the 2026 campaign so far, attracting interest from the Baggies, the Saints, and the Robins.
Like Hackney, Askildsen is a central midfielder who can influence matches in and out of possession with his impressive range of abilities in the middle of the park.
|
2026 Eliteserien |
Kristoffer Askildsen |
Rank vs CMs |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
5 |
Top 10% |
|
xA |
2.93 |
Top 16% |
|
Successful dribbles |
12 |
Top 24% |
|
Duels won |
115 |
Top 4% |
|
Duel success rate |
57.5% |
Top 14% |
|
Defensive contributions |
181 |
Top 10% |
|
Ball recoveries |
89 |
Top 7% |
The midfield talent currently ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics, as a scorer, a creator, a dribbler, a defender, and as a physical presence after 20 matches in the division.
Askildsen, who previously played for Lecce and Sampdoria in Italy, also scored against Bodo/Glimt earlier this year, only a few months after the opposition had beaten Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter in the Champions League.
West Brom, Southampton, and Bristol City should all be looking to secure a permanent deal for the Viking star when the January transfer window opens for business, because he looks like a complete midfielder who can provide consistent quality.
Askildsen’s ability to score and create goals, combined with his defensive work and physicality, suggests that he is the perfect fit for the Championship, and could be the division’s next version of Hackney.
Having a complete star who can offer consistent quality on and off the ball could help West Brom, Bristol City, or Southampton in their race to secure promotion from the second tier, which is why they should all look to formalise their interest in him as quickly as possible.