Best Young Championship Players 2026/27
15 under-21s have played at least 225 Championship minutes so far this season. Harry Whitwell (20, West Brom) leads on 8.3, ahead of Divine Mukasa (19, West Ham, 7.5) and R. Kavuma McQueen (16, Portsmouth, 7.1).
Each player is scored against his own position, so a defender and a forward can sit side by side. The youngest in the top 15 is R. Kavuma McQueen (16, Portsmouth).
| # | Player | Score | Pos | Age | Mins | DEF | DUEL | CRE | GOAL | CARRY | PASS | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry WhitwellWest Brom | 8.3 | MID | 20 | 417 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 9.2 | 3.3 | Needs 600 mins |
| 2 | Divine MukasaWest Ham | 7.5 | MID | 19 | 535 | 7.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 9.3 | 3.2 | 8.5 | Needs 600 mins |
| 3 | R. Kavuma McQueenPortsmouth | 7.1 | ATT | 16 | 400 | 9.4 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 9.6 | 0.5 | Needs 600 mins |
| 4 | Jimmy MorganWest Brom | 6.9 | ATT | 20 | 698 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 5.6 | 7.4 | Creative Forward |
| 5 | Mateus ManeWolves | 6.4 | ATT | 19 | 559 | 8.0 | 5.5 | 9.4 | 1.2 | 8.9 | 7.0 | Needs 600 mins |
| 6 | Rio CardinesBristol City | 6.2 | DEF | 20 | 742 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 10.0 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 2.4 | Wide Defender |
| 7 | Romelle DonovanSheffield Utd | 6.0 | MID | 19 | 359 | 7.7 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 0.7 | Needs 600 mins |
| 8 | Oscar SchwartauNorwich | 5.8 | ATT | 20 | 456 | 9.5 | 3.3 | 9.4 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 6.8 | Needs 600 mins |
| 9 | Lewis OrfordWest Ham | 5.4 | MID | 20 | 242 | 7.4 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 9.6 | Needs 600 mins |
| 10 | Rabby NzingoulaWest Brom | 4.7 | MID | 20 | 408 | 8.9 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 7.9 | 6.4 | Needs 600 mins |
| 11 | Tom AtchesonBlackburn | 4.3 | DEF | 20 | 588 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 1.5 | 6.1 | 8.4 | Needs 600 mins |
| 12 | Amin NabizadaWatford | 4.2 | MID | 19 | 455 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 9.9 | 0.6 | 3.3 | Needs 600 mins |
| 13 | Oliver ScarlesWest Ham | 3.9 | DEF | 20 | 439 | 7.4 | 0.5 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 7.8 | Needs 600 mins |
| 14 | Jayden MeghomaPortsmouth | 3.3 | DEF | 20 | 294 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 1.3 | 4.2 | Needs 600 mins |
| 15 | Mamadou DoumbiaWatford | 3.1 | ATT | 20 | 558 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | Needs 600 mins |
Columns are the six Scout52 composites (goalkeepers use their own: shot stopping, distribution, command and match rating). Hover a column head for its full name.. Every score is out of 10.
How the ranking works
Scout52 Score is a 0–10 rating for how well a player is performing this season. It blends three things: his match ratings (30%), the composites that define his playing style (50%) and the rest of his game (20%). How the engine works.
Every column is a comparison, not a raw stat. Each composite is ranked against players in the same position across second-tier football such as the Championship, so 8.7 means he is ahead of 87% of them. A player in Championship is judged against the standard of Championship, not the Premier League. Composite scores explained.
Who qualifies: players under 21 with at least 225 Championship minutes this season. The bar is a quarter of the league minutes played so far, so it rises as the season goes on. Only league games count. Archetypes appear once a player passes 600 minutes. Player archetypes explained.
The table refreshes every Tuesday. Last updated 13 October 2026.
More rankings
Questions
- Who is the best young player in Championship this season?
- On Scout52 Score, Harry Whitwell (20, West Brom) is the top-ranked under-21 in Championship in 2026/27 with 8.3, as of 13 October 2026.
- How are young players ranked?
- Players under 21 with at least 225 league minutes are ranked by Scout52 Score, which compares each player with others in his position at the same level of football.
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