Championship 2025/26 preview: Ipswich, Birmingham to set early marker | OneFootball

The 2025/26 Championship gets underway on August 8 with a blockbuster clash between two of the favourites for automatic promotion.

Ipswich Town have landed back in the second tier after one season in the Premier League and will be desperate to make an immediate return to the promised land.

They face an early test of their promotion credentials on the opening weekend as they travel to the Midlands to face newly promoted Birmingham City.

The Blues won the League One title at a canter last season and have invested heavily in their squad ahead of what they hope will be another successful campaign.

With that in mind, read on as we preview the 2025/26 Championship season.

Title Contenders

The opening round of Championship fixtures will provide some valuable insights into teams who have been touted as potential title contenders this term.

Ipswich are the favourites to claim top spot, and they should be in the mix given the strength of the squad manager Keiran McKenna has at his disposal.

They boast plenty of strength in depth, which is a useful to asset to have in the Championship. However, the loss of striker Liam Delap is a blow.

Ipswich have yet to replace Delap, but still have time to address the issue before the summer transfer window closes on September 1.

The Tractor Boys should mount a strong bid to win the title if they sign a Championship-proven striker, but even that may not be enough.

Birmingham ripped through League One last season, setting a new points record on their way to the title to climb back into the second tier at the first time of asking.

Their ambitious owners had already assembled a squad capable of holding its own in the Championship, but that has not stopped them from strengthening.

Kyogo Furuhashi and Taylor Gardner-Hickman are quality signings, while Demarai Gray and Kanya Fujimoto are shrewd free transfer acquisitions.

James Beadle, Tommy Doyle and Eiran Cashin have also arrived at St Andrew’s on season-long loans, further strengthening Birmingham’s impressive squad.

Winning back-to-back promotions is never an easy task, but the Blues look well-equipped to surge into the Premier League at the end of the season.

Top-Six Race

Sheffield United are the team most likely to capitalise if Birmingham or Ipswich fall short in their quest to secure automatic promotion.

The decision to sack manager Chris Wilder surprised many people, and ex-Hull City boss Ruben Selles was an equally unexpected replacement.

Selles has had a troubled start to his coaching career, facing difficult on and off-field challenges at Southampton, Reading and Hull.

He now has the chance to prove his managerial credentials at a club which is expected to challenge towards the top of the Championship table.

The loan signings of Louie Barry (Aston Villa) and Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest) are eye-catching, and the Blades look a banker bet to finish in the top six.

Southampton, Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion have been touted as potential play-off contenders, and the latter could be the ones to watch.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason embarks on his first managerial job, and he could enjoy a productive first season with the Baggies.

Aune Heggebo, Nat Phillips and George Campbell are excellent signings at Championship level, and it would be a major surprise if West Brom finish outside the top six.

Norwich City are also fancied to challenge for a play-off spot, while Swansea City are potential dark horses after making several shrewd signings this summer.

Big-spending Wrexham will also hope to impress on their return to the second tier, but mid-table may be as good as it gets for them.

Relegation Candidates

Newly-promoted Charlton Athletic have been busy during the summer transfer window as they strive to build a squad capable of competing in the Championship.

However, none of their signings have the ‘wow’ factor and the Addicks look set for a season of struggle at the wrong end of the table.

Oxford United manager Gary Rowett is an extremely shrewd operator at this level, but that may not be enough for them to avoid relegation this season.

Their squad looks wafer-thin, particularly up front, and a return to League One after a couple of seasons in the second tier is on the cards.

Preston North End, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday are expected to struggle to stay afloat in the Championship this season.

North End’s final-day draw at Bristol City saved them last season, but their squad looks way short of the quality needed to survive in the Championship.

Hull also narrowly avoided relegation on the final day last season, and their gamble on appointing former Kayserispor manager Sergej Jakirovic has ‘disaster’ written all over it.

While Preston and Hull look set to struggle, they may be saved from relegation if Sheffield Wednesday fail to get their act together over the next few weeks.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri’s chaotic mismanagement is having a devastating impact on the club, and fans are desperate for him to relinquish control.

A takeover would change the narrative surrounding Wednesday, but they are doomed while Chansiri remains in control at Hillsborough.

Golden Boot

The race to claim the Golden Boot award in the Championship looks wide open this year, with none of the so-called leading contenders making much appeal.

Millwall’s Mihailo Ivanovic could mount a strong bid to claim the prize if he continues the form he showed towards the end of last season under manager Alex Neil.

The 20-year-old scored seven goals in his final eight starts and is the type of player who could light up the Championship this season.

Norwich City forward Mathias Kvistgaarden is another potential candidate to top the scoring charts after impressing in Denmark with Brondby.

He bagged 23 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions last season, and he could claim the Championship top scorer prize this term.