Championship football season begins with key transfers and tough opening fixtures

EFL Championship football transfers fixture difficulty Opta Power Rankings English football

The 2026-27 EFL Championship season begins this week, featuring 24 teams competing for promotion, playoff spots, or survival.

Key player transfers to watch include Elijah Just, who joined Swansea City from Motherwell for a reported fee of approximately £5m following a strong season in the Scottish Premiership and a notable World Cup performance for New Zealand. Additionally, Will Lankshear joins Middlesbrough after a productive loan spell at Oxford United.

Analysis of the opening fixtures suggests varying levels of difficulty for clubs based on Opta Power Rankings. Watford faces the most challenging start to the season with an average opponent rating of 82.8 over the first five matches. Conversely, Stoke City is identified as the easiest team to play against on paper, while Southampton holds the highest individual power rating in the league at 85.5.

Entities

Championship · Middlesbrough · Southampton · Swansea City · Watford

Sources

EFL League One Outright Title Winner, Promotion, and Relegation odds - Fan Banter [fanbanter.co.uk]

3 days ago

Championship transfer window: Six signings to watch in 2026-27 season including £5m World Cup star - Sports Mole [www.sportsmole.co.uk]

4 days ago

Season Preview 26/27 – The Contenders [www.fansnetwork.co.uk]

3 days ago

Sunderland: Can Black Cats surprise Premier League doubters again? [www.bbc.co.uk]

3 days ago

Premier League Survival Guide: How Can the Promoted Teams Stay Up in 2026-27? | Opta Analyst [theanalyst.com]

2 days ago