Seven worthy candidates for Championship signing of the season

There have been some outstanding performers in the Championship this season, and just how many of those have been new signings is quite remarkable as we approach the end of the campaign.

Indeed, half of the top 14 players in England’s second tier according to WhoScored.com ratings only arrived at their respective clubs last summer as we assess the worthy candidates for signing of the season.

Said Benrahma (Brentford)

Arriving from Nice for a fee in the region of £1.5m, Brentford were convinced by the Algerian’s performances on loan at Ligue 2 outfit Chateauroux last season. Benrahma scored nine goals in said spell and bettered that tally with a late equaliser against Derby last time out.

In doing so he became only the third player to reach double figures for both goals and assists this season, registering his 12th of the season when it comes to the latter to take the outright lead as the league’s top creator. Those superb numbers have come despite making nine of 36 league appearances from the bench this season, but Benrahma is now one of the first names on the teamsheet at Griffin Park.
 
With the most shots (4), key passes (3.3) and dribbles (3.3) per 90 minutes in the division, the 23-year-old has undoubtedly been one of the finds of the season.

Adam Webster (Bristol City)

At £3.6m it’s fair to say Webster’s signing was a significant one for a club of Bristol City’s stature and the 24-year-old has made a real fist of replacing former favourite Aden Flint - and at half the price - since arriving from Ipswich. Jumping ship from the Tractor Boys at just the right time, rather than gearing up for a season in League One the centre-back has helped Lee Johnson’s side mount a real push for the play-offs.

The defender has chipped in with important goals of late, just as Flint used to for the Robins, and his aerial dominance in both boxes has been a huge asset. An average of 6.4 aerial duels won per 90 minutes ranks among the league’s strongest centre-halves while a success rate of 71.6 per cent from his total duels in that regard ranks third of players to have won 100 or more - just ahead of that man Flint.

John McGinn (Aston Villa)

Signed from Hibernian for a modest fee of £2.5m, the return on that investment has been huge as far as Aston Villa are concerned. An immediate fan favourite due to his tireless running both in and out of possession, McGinn is quite simply a supporter’s and manager’s dream.

The phrase 110 per cent was made for players like the Scotland international, who simply works harder than any other player on the pitch to ensure his side have the best chance of winning. That enthusiasm and energy can and has led to disciplinary issues, picking up 12 yellow cards thus far, but it’s coupled with real quality in the final third in particular having had a direct hand in 15 goals (six goals, nine assists).

A strong dribbler and tenacious tackler with an eye for a spectacular goal, McGinn has been a revelation in English football having already made a name for himself north of the border.

Tammy Abraham (Aston Villa)

Arriving on deadline day on loan from Chelsea, Steve Bruce was desperate to get Tammy Abraham through the door and was rewarded for his persistence in the end. Having failed to build on a decent start to life in top-flight football on loan at Swansea the England youth international needed regular game time once more and having lit up the Championship with Bristol City as a teenager, Villa seemed a good fit.

That has proven to be the case after the 21-year-old matched his tally of 23 goals for the Robins with his latest strike against Sheffield Wednesday and the manager who signed him in Bruce, doing so from seven fewer appearances (34). The youngster is still in the running for the Golden Boot but missing the first month of the campaign may just mean Abraham falls short once more having lost out to Chris Wood two years ago.

Teemu Pukki (Norwich)

The man that looks set to pip the aforementioned Villa striker to the top scorer gong this season, Teemu Pukki’s arrival at Carrow Road has been a defining one in the Championship. Picked up on a free from Danish side Brondby, the Finland international has transformed one of last season’s lowest scorers into the division’s great entertainers and prospective champions.

Beyond a stunning 26-goal haul the 29-year-old has linked the Canaries free-flowing attacking football superbly, registering nine assists, but it’s his composure in the box that remains his greatest strength. The Scandinavian with ice in his veins has scored with 22 per cent of his shots this season and there’s an inevitability as to what happens next when he has been put through one-on-one. As far as free transfers go, the striker has arguably been the most effective on the continent this season.

Emiliano Buendia (Norwich)

The fact that Pukki isn’t clearly the best signing Norwich made during the summer is testament to the impact of 22-year-old Buendia this season, who has made up for the loss of two of the club’s prized assets ahead of the campaign. Indeed, when the Canaries parted ways with Josh Murphy and James Maddison for a combined fee of over £30m, many feared for Daniel Farke’s side after an underwhelming finish to the previous campaign.

Instead, the £1.5m acquisition of the Argentine has been a genuine masterstroke, with Buendia weighing in with eight goals and 11 assists this season. That’s despite starting just 32 of a possible 40 matches to date - doing so from the right wing - and also not having a hand in a goal until October. The way the South American has acclimatised and progressed since is perhaps the main reason behind Norwich’s march to the title, with his intelligence of movement and link up play with those around him a joy to watch.

Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United)

Having helped Brighton and Fulham to Premier League promotion in each of the last two seasons, Norwood is on course to complete a hat-trick in that respect with Sheffield United, playing a more integral role for the Blades than either of his two previous employers. The first name on Chris Wilder’s teamsheet, the Northern Ireland international makes his team tick and his ability over set pieces has been a huge asset.

As well as averaging the most passes per game in the Championship this season (69.2) Norwood ranks among the top three players for both key passes (2.3) and accurate crosses (2.1) too. Moreover, an average of 2.5 tackles per game ensures that Sheffield United are not overrun in the middle of the park in a system that encourages defenders to support attacks, with Norwood playing the quarter-back role in the side, registering eight assists in the process.

The 27-year-old’s experience of promotion bids will no doubt be pivotal as the Blades aim to hold off Leeds for the final automatic route back to the top-flight.