The most valuable Championship XI - including £30m Sunderland duo plus Leeds United and Burnley stars
A look at the most valuable players in the Championship.
Sunderland are fortunate enough to boast a squad full of impressive young talent, with many of their players reportedly in high demand at the time of writing.
But how does the Black Cats’ dressing room measure up compared to their Championship rivals? We’ve taken a closer look at Transfermarkt’s market values for the entire division to come up with the second tier’s definitive most valuable starting XI.
Check out the team below...
James Trafford - Burnley - GK - £15 million
The Burnley goalkeeper has enjoyed a stellar campaign for the Clarets, conceding just 11 goals and keeping 26 clean sheets across 37 Championship outings thus far. His efforts have been rewarded with a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, and there has been frequent talk of a high profile transfer this summer.
Milan van Ewijk - Coventry City - RB - £7.5 million
Van Ewijk has been an ever-present for Coventry City so far this season, and has contributed two goals and two assists from the right side of defence. The Dutchman has also operated as a right midfielder at times this term too.
Anel Ahmedhodzic - Sheffield United - CB - £15 million
A towering presence at the back for Sheffield United, the Bosnian has once again been a key part of the Blades’ promotion push this term, featuring in 30 Championship matches thus far.
Pascal Struijk - Leeds United - CB - £15 million
Struijk is a massive player for Leeds United, as Sunderland fans can attest too better than most. The Dutch defender scored both goals in a vital 2-1 win at Elland Road last month, bringing his tally up to five for the campaign.
Caleb Wiley - Watford - LB - £6.7 million
The American full-back is currently on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea, and at the age of 20, he likely has a big future ahead of him. At the time of writing, he has only featured twice for Watford, but his potential is unquestionable.
Ethan Ampadu - Leeds United - CDM - £13.4 million
Ampadu missed a notable portion of the campaign through injury, but there’s no doubting that Leeds United look like a better side with him in the picture, whether that be at the base of midfield, or in the heart of defence.
Jobe Bellingham - Sunderland - CM - £15 million
Sunderland’s teenage sensation continues to attract attention from far and wide, and has come on leaps and bounds under Regis Le Bris this season. The biggest concern on Wearside is that a failure to win promotion will likely lead to a groundswell of interest, and a possible exit this summer.
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Enzo Le Fée - Sunderland - CM - £15 million
When Le Fée signed for Sunderland, many onlookers were astounded by the Black Cats’ ability to bring in such a high pedigree talent. Of course, in recent weeks he has been sidelined through injury, and the Stadium of Light faithful are still yet to see him in his preferred central berth, but from the few glimpses we have had, there is no denying that the Frenchman is some player.
Wilfried Gnonto - Leeds United - RW - £15 million
The Italian may be in this XI, and he may have featured 35 times for Leeds United in the Championship this season, but he hasn’t started a league match since the turn of the year, and Daniel Farke often prefers to give Dan James the nod out on the right. Nevertheless, Gnonto has a higher market value, according to Transfermarkt.
Borja Sainz - Norwich City - LW - £10 million
Sainz has enjoyed a superb campaign for Norwich City, and is currently the Championship’s top scorer with 17 goals in 33 outings. His form has dipped notably of late, however, and he has scored just twice since the end of November - although both strikes did come in his last two appearances.
Adam Armstrong - West Brom - ST - £13.4 million
And finally, the most expensive striker in the Championship, according to Transfermarkt, is Adam Armstrong. The centre-forward is currently on loan at West Brom from Premier League strugglers Southampton, and he has scored twice in eight games so far.