Five top Championship youngsters Sunderland should target next summer
A look at some of the best Championship prospects that Regis Le Bris could look to attract to the Stadium of Light
Championship leaders Sunderland have a wealth of up and coming talent at their disposal, and the team’s average age of 23 and a half makes them the youngest team in the division by some distance, ahead of the likes of Hull City, Sheffield United and Stoke City.
Over the last few months, Regis Le Bris has harnessed the potential of stars such as academy graduate Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Eliezer Mayenda, Dennis Cirkin and Romaine Mundle to produce one of the most exciting teams in the Championship.
Sunderland’s goal tally of 25 make them the highest scorers in the division while their defensive record of conceding 11 also gives them one of the meanest records in the league.
In recent times, Sunderland’s recruitment strategy has been heavily based on finding the best young talents available and in that method has so far has been hugely fruitful.
But who are the best Championship youngsters that Sunderland should look to target? Here we take a look at five of the best young players in the division.
Callum Doyle: Norwich City
Young Manchester City defender Callum Doyle was a key part of the Sunderland squad who secured promotion to the Championship with 36 appearances during his loan spell in the 2020/21 season.
The 21-year-old reached the play-off final with Coventry City a year later and made 17 appearances for Leicester City during the promotion-winning season.
Doyle is currently playing week in week out on loan at Norwich City and has been hugely impressive form with one goal and five assists in his 15 appearances for the Canaries.
The five time England Under-21 international looks destined to have a bright future into the game and wouldn’t take long to settle back into the North East if the Black Cats came calling.
Harrison Burrows: Sheffield United
Former Peterborough United left-back Harrison Burrows has made a huge impression since signing for Sheffield United in the summer.
The 22-year-old boasts a record of two goals in 13 appearances and is part of the best defence in the entirety of the Championship at this moment in time.
Burrows is an attacking minded defender with an eye for goal and excellent creativity. His Who Scored average rating of 7.35 is the second highest in the entire division.
Hayden Hackney: Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough academy graduate Hayden Hackney has already racked up 64 Championship appearances at 22 years of age.
The box-to-box midfielder won Middlesbrough’s Young Player of the Season award last season and has established himself as a regular starter for England’s Under-21 side.
He is blessed with excellent composure on the ball and has thrived in the defensive midfield position this season. In recent months, the Athletic have already started to point out the similarities between Hackney and his manager Michael Carrick.
Tom Cannon: Stoke City
Leicester City loanee Tom Cannon has enjoyed an excellent start to life at the Bet365 stadium with six goals and one assist in his opening 11 appearances for Stoke City.
The 21-year-old Republic of Ireland international recently became the first Stoke player in 24 years to score four in one match during his side’s comprehensive 6-1 victory over Portsmouth.
Former Spanish Under-19 international Borja Sainz has exploded into life under new boss Johannes Hoff Thorup with an incredible 11 goals and two assists in 15 appearances, making him the top scorer in the entire division.
The talented left winger is in the form of his life and has won the Championship Player of the Month twice in a row.
Sky Sports’ EFL pundit Don Goodman said: “Borja Sainz is showing no signs of slowing down as he picks up the Championship Player of the Month award for the second month running. Norwich have had a mixed start to the season, but everything good seems to be coming through Sainz. He looks full of confidence and three of his four goals in October were absolute crackers.”