Sky Sports pundit namechecks West Brom and Sheffield United starlets as ones to watch | OneFootball

The duo have been tipped for real success by the pundit

Don Goodman has touted Ollie Arblaster and Tom Fellows as his two players to watch in the upcoming Championship campaign.

The second-tier has enjoyed a growing succession rate in recent years when it comes to young talent eventually graduating to Premier League stardom and beyond. Indeed, the dynamic has undertaken a shift of sorts, with top-flight clubs now increasingly inclined to taking calculated risks and recruiting from the Championship.

Such a shift in recruitment policy has been showcased this summer through the departures of Leeds United duo Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray's departures to West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, Jacob Greaves' switch to newly-promoted Ipswich Town and the return of Jaden Philogene to Aston Villa following just one season at the MKM Stadium, although the winger had been a target for numerous Premier League clubs.

Following those exits, there still remains little sign of the trend being bucked anytime soon, and both Arblaster and Fellows have been predicted to have strong individual campaigns and potentially make the step-up to the Premier League in the not-too-distant future.

Don Goodman's Ollie Arblaster, Tom Fellows verdicts

The Sky Sports pundit has namechecked the Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion talents as ones to watch in the 2024/25 campaign, which the Blades themselves will initiate as they travel to Preston North End on Friday evening.

"I think it's telling that more players from the EFL are coming through and are getting an opportunity in the Premier League because I think there's so much talent in the Championship, particularly, that is capable of playing in the Premier League," Goodman explained to Football League World via Grosvenor Sport.

"Over the years, there had seemed to be this little bit of snobbery from Premier League clubs to suggest that the Championship players wouldn't be able to do it and wouldn't be good enough.

"Based on what other people are saying, one I think will have a great season is Ollie Arblaster at Sheffield United. Everybody has told me that this boy is very, very special.

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing him. He had a really good loan spell at Port Vale and I should imagine that he'll get a lot more opportunities this season in the Championship at Bramall Lane, so I'm looking forward to seeing him.

"And a bit more of an obvious one is Johnny Rowe at Norwich who started last season on fire, got a terrible injury and didn't have time to pick that form back up right at the very, very end, but with 12 goals and two assists he is really, really exciting."

Ollie Arblaster, Tom Fellows should shine in 24/25

It's no great shock that Goodman has decided to tip the duo for success as they've both made serious respective influences despite still being at early stages in their careers.

Arblaster returned from his loan at Port Vale to genuinely impress for the Blades at Premier League level amid their relegation campaign. With a dogged work-ethic and the ability to break up play while also offering composure and forward transition in possession, he most certainly fits the bill for a Chris Wilder midfielder and you'd expect the 20-year-old to be an ever-present all season long.

Fellows also enjoyed an upwards trajectory in the latter stages of the previous campaign and repaid Carlos Corberan's faith at the Hawthorns by offering a new attacking outlet for the side with his direct running, confidence and pinpoint crossing.

He's very much in the mold of an old-school winger who likes to hug the byline, get chalk on his boots and produce crosses from out wide, which could prove a real asset once again if the likes of Devante Cole and Josh Maja find their goalscoring boots.

Of all three players, Rowe has the most impressive Championship credentials to date as he was a key performer in Norwich's route to the play-offs although a direct Premier League move might be less likely than it could prove for Arblaster and Fellows. The winger is a strong target for Leeds, who are keen to replace Summerville but will have to meet a reported asking price of at least £15m to land Rowe's signature.