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Every Championship club ranked as final 2026/27 table predicted with potential record points total The new Championship campaign is almost upon us as another season of ups and downs awaits. Following Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City's promotion last term, who will reach the Premier League this time around? The season begins on Friday, August 14 as Wolves host Blackburn Rovers at Molineux, live on talkSPORT. Wolves are one of three relegated sides returning to England's second-tier alongside Burnley and title favourites West Ham United, who are already using the transfer window to ensure their return. Meanwhile, Lincoln City, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanders join the division following promotion from League One earlier this year. This season will also see the play-offs expanded to eight teams, with more than half the division harbouring realistic promotion hopes. The fallout from Southampton's Spygate scandal also continues to loom as the Saints begin the campaign with a four-point deduction. Ahead of the season's kick-off, here is where all 24 clubs stack up in talkSPORT's predicted Championship standings. Birmingham Chris Davies' side achieved a respectable 10th place finish on their Championship return last season. The Birmingham boss has once again been backed in the transfer market with more than £10million spent already. However, it is the free transfer arrival of former Middlesbrough captain Dael Fry which could prove the most impressive. A serious play-off push may be required to maintain the support of fans for Davies after periods of discontent last term, though. talkSPORT Prediction: 6th Championship on talkSPORT talkSPORT will bring you unmatched live and exclusive coverage of the Championship's opening weekend. Just look at what we've got in store! FRIDAY 14th AUGUST - Wolves v Blackburn - 8pm (talkSPORT) SATURDAY 15th AUGUST - Bolton v Preston - 12.30pm (talkSPORT) - Around the Grounds with Adrian Durham - 2.30pm (talkSPORT) - Middlesbrough v Lincoln - 3pm (talkSPORT 2) - Sheffield United v Birmingham - 5.30pm (talkSPORT 2) SUNDAY 16th AUGUST - Watford v Southampton - 1.30pm (talkSPORT 2) - Burnley v West Ham - 4pm (talkSPORT 2) MONDAY 17th AUGUST - Cardiff v Wrexham - 8pm (talkSPORT 2) Blackburn A change in the dugout for Blackburn this summer has done little to lift the spirits amongst supporters at Ewood Park. Tony Mowbray is now in his second spell in charge, replacing Michael O'Neill, who steered Rovers to safety at the end of last term. Their 20th place finish represented the second time in three seasons that the club had ended the campaign in the bottom six. With just two new additions to the squad, a difficult season awaits for Rovers' long-suffering supporters. talkSPORT Prediction: 23rd Bolton Bolton return to the Championship after a seven-year absence following their League One play-off triumph in May. The Trotters are managed by former Stoke and Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher. However, his squad remains limited on Championship experience despite the arrival of six new faces this summer. Former loanees Mason Burstow and Amario Cozier-Duberry scored a combined 20 league goals last term and without them Bolton could be staring at an immediate return to the third-tier. talkSPORT Prediction: 22nd Bristol City An exciting summer off the pitch has caused renewed optimism amongst the fanbase at Ashton Gate. The Robins saw their play-off hopes fade last term before Gerhard Struber was sacked, with Michael Skubala now in place as his successor. He has since brought in strikers Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard to bolster his attack, with the former scoring in an impressive friendly win over Newcastle United. Repeating their sixth place finish from two seasons ago may prove a step too far, though, but another play-off push looks on the cards. talkSPORT Prediction: 10th Burnley Burnley have clinched an instant return to the Premier League in each of their last two seasons at this level. However, their is a feeling of the unknown around Turf Moor this summer under new boss Nicky Hayen. A title winner in Belgium, Hayen will be getting his first taste of English football this season. The departures of several key players, including Maxime Esteve, Jaidon Anthony and Axel Tuanzebe, could prove to keep the Clarets out of the top two. talkSPORT Prediction: 4th Cardiff Another of the newly-promoted sides, Cardiff finished second in League One last season under Brian Barry-Murphy. As a result, they returned to the Championship at the first time of asking having finished bottom in 2024/25. Just one top half finish in their last four seasons at this level suggests it could be another relegation battle for the Bluebirds this time around. Barry-Murphy has put together a young side with plenty of exciting homegrown talent, though, which should have enough to survive. talkSPORT Prediction: 20th Charlton Charlton avoided relegation on their return to the Championship last season. Despite winning just one of their final nine matches, Nathan Jones' side ended the campaign six points above the drop zone. The Addicks have since added Championship experience to their squad in the form of Karlan Grant and Danny McNamara. Another strong start to the campaign may be crucial to build a gap between themselves and the wrong end of the table. talkSPORT Prediction: 21st Notable 2026/27 Championship fixtures Blackburn vs Burnley - November 22 - Turf Moor - February 6 - Ewood Park Cardiff vs Swansea - November 29 - Swansea.com Stadium - March 13 - Cardiff City Stadium Millwall vs West Ham - September 19 - The Den - February 21 - London Stadium Portsmouth vs Southampton - October 11 - St. Mary's Stadium - February 28 - Fratton Park Southampton vs Middlesbrough - November 27 - St. Mary's Stadium - March 13 - Riverside Stadium West Brom vs Wolves - September 20 - Molineux - February 20 - The Hawthorns Derby The Rams only missed out on a place in the play-offs on the final day of the season in May. Their eighth place finish marked their highest for seven years as John Eustace's side came agonisingly close to extending their campaign. With the new format expanding the play-offs to eight teams, Derby would have qualified if they had been introduced a year earlier. The permanent signing of former loanee Bobby Clark, Sammie Szmodics' return and the promising arrival of Filip Bilbija could see another tilt for the top eight on the cards this term. talkSPORT Prediction: 11th Lincoln Few outside of Lincoln would have predicted the Imps would win the League One title last season. However, the club's first season in the second-tier for 66 years is already threatening to turn sour. Promotion-winning manager Skubala has departed, with head coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw replacing him in a dual-role. Meanwhile, heavy pre-season defeats to lower league opposition is also a cause for concern. Underdog status did not hinder Lincoln's promotion bid last season, but they may need a miracle to extend their Championship stay. talkSPORT Prediction: 24th Middlesbrough For much of last season, Middlesbrough looked destined to join Coventry in winning automatic promotion to the Premier League. Boro ended 35 out of 46 matchdays inside the top two but ultimately faltered at the tail end of the campaign to finish fifth. Kim Hellberg's side were subsequently beaten in the play-off final by Hull after being reinstated following Southampton's disqualification. A busy summer in the transfer window has included the additions of Will Lankshear and World Cup star Sebastian Berhalter as promotion buzz once again sweeps Teesside. The imminent arrival of goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Manchester United will see Boro's spending spree reach close to £40million. talkSPORT Prediction: 3rd Millwall Millwall came agonisingly close to sealing promotion last term as they missed out to Ipswich on the final day. The Lions went on to lose to Hull in the play-off semi-finals to consign them to a 10th consecutive season in the Championship. Alex Neil has once again blended youth and experience with his signings this summer. However, last seasons' club record points tally for this level will be difficult to repeat for the London club. talkSPORT Prediction: 9th Norwich Philippe Clement's arrival in November triggered a stunning turnaround for Norwich in the 2025/26 campaign. Having been 23rd when he was appointed, the Canaries went on to finish ninth under the Belgian. The £8million signing of Andre Brooks from Sheffield United is one of four new additions to his side already this summer. Having seen their late season surge come up short last term, Norwich could be one of the clubs to benefit from the expanded format. talkSPORT Prediction: 8th Portsmouth John Mousinho remains in charge at Fratton Park despite interest from Bristol City at the start of the summer. The Pompey boss once again avoided relegation last season despite countless injuries and one of the Championship's smallest budgets. He has seen his transfer kitty increase this term with the reported £3million spent on striker Marko Milovanovic the club's biggest outlay on a single player since 2009. Despite six new signings, keeping hold of Mousinho will likely prove Portsmouth's best business of the summer. Whilst it may be too soon to dream of the play-offs, a more comfortable campaign can certainly be expected for fans. talkSPORT Prediction: 17th Preston Paul Heckingbottom's side found themselves as close to the bottom three as the top six last season as they ended the campaign in 14th. A run of one win in 13 between January and March proved to be the undoing for any faint promotion hopes. Preston have since broken their transfer record to bring former loanee Alfie Devine back to the club from Tottenham Hotspur. However, the expected departure of captain Ben Whiteman to Wrexham represents a blow on the eve of the new campaign. talkSPORT Prediction: 18th QPR QPR spent time in both the relegation zone and the play-offs during a topsy-turvy first season in charge for Julien Stephan. Their 15th place finish was enough to earn their French coach a new contract this summer, though. An impressive transfer window has followed on paper for the Hoops, with former Premier League star Tariq Lamptey amongst the new arrivals. Glen Kamara and highly-rated goalkeeper Pierce Charles have also joined on loan, leading fans to believe their 11-year stay in the Championship could come to an end. talkSPORT Prediction: 13th Sheffield United A woeful start under Ruben Selles put an almost immediate end to any promotion hopes for the Blades last term. Although legendary manager Chris Wilder steadied the ship on his return, he could only achieve a 13th place finish. It marked a stark contrast to finishing third and suffering play-off final heartbreak the previous season. A quiet window in terms of incomings along with the departure of Brooks to Norwich could see promotion once again out of the question for the Blades this time around. talkSPORT Prediction: 14th Southampton Tonda Eckert's side embarked on a 19-match unbeaten run to end last season as they ultimately finished fourth in the table. However, controversy soon followed as the club were disqualified from the play-offs for spying on Oxford United, Ipswich and Middlesbrough ahead of matches. FA charges are now looming above Eckert's head with the outcome yet to be announced. In terms of transfers, impressive loan signings Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin have returned to St. Mary's, whilst Lewis Dobbin has been signed from Aston Villa. A four-point deduction for their Spygate antics could prove costly for the Saints in the promotion race, though. talkSPORT Prediction: 7th Stoke The Potters have not finished higher than 14th since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018. Mark Robins' side ended last season in 17th as fans were subjected to another mediocre campaign. Hopes of a surge up the table are bubbling away, though, with over £20million spent already this summer. Amongst their new arrivals, the signing of Ethan Galbraith from Swansea City has been tipped as a potential 'signing of the summer'. If further interest inn Harry Clarke and George Hirst comes to fruition, a top half finish might not be out of the question. talkSPORT Prediction: 16th Swansea Swansea were another club to benefit considerably from a managerial change last season. Vitor Matos guided the club to an 11th place finish after taking over in November. The goals of Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik were largely to thank and the Slovenia striker has so far remained at the club. Despite Galbraith's exit to Stoke, the Swans will hope to avoid being drawn into a relegation battle this season. talkSPORT Prediction: 12th Watford Watford head into the new season fresh from appointing their 24th permanent manager in the last 14 years. Alessio Dionisi is the new man in charge after Ed Still was sacked at the end of the previous campaign. The Italian will be managing overseas for the first time in his career, with all six of his new signings to date arriving from Serie A. Of those, five have been from Udinese, who like Watford are also owned by the Pozzo Family. Since relegation from the top-flight in 2022, the Hornets have not finished higher than 11th and another bottom half finish appears likely this term. talkSPORT Prediction: 19th West Brom Baggies fans will be desperate to put last season behind them as quickly as possible. The club's 21st place finish represented their worst league campaign for 26 years following a two-point deduction in April for breaching PSR rules. Former interim boss James Morrison has been rewarded for securing survival by being placed in permanent charge. Whilst he has added to the squad, his side still appear to be lacking options on both wings. A better season than last is almost certain, but play-off ambitions may have to be put on hold for another year. talkSPORT Prediction: 15th West Ham The Hammers are set to play outside the Premier League for only the second time since 2005 this season. Meanwhile, their last campaign at this level saw the club secure an immediate top-flight return via the play-offs 12 years ago. Fans will expect nothing less than promotion again this term, with captain Jarrod Bowen remaining at the club. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo and cult hero Tomas Soucek have also stayed put for the Championship. Despite selling Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham and Crysencio Summerville to Saudi club Al Hilal, West Ham are more likely to set a points record than be subjected to a second season at this level come May. Certainly the odds are pointing to a resounding title win. talkSPORT Prediction: 1st Wolves Wolves have followed their disastrous Premier League campaign with an almost equally turbulent summer off the pitch. Rob Edwards was sacked in June despite playing a key role in the signings of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez. His replacement Cesar Peixoto has now been charged with clinching an immediate top-flight return after their eight-year stay ended last term. Wolves finished the campaign bottom of the table with just three league wins to their name. With Joao Gomes their only notable departure and midfielder Andre signing a new deal, their squad appears too strong on paper for the majority of the division. talkSPORT Prediction: 2nd Wrexham Phil Parkinson's side only missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season last time out. The Red Dragons ended the campaign two points adrift of the top six in seventh on their return to the second-tier after 44 years away. Wrexham's Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have taken a more reserved approach in the transfer market so far this summer. Danny Imray is so far their only new addition, with the right-back arriving from Crystal Palace. However, a deal for Fiorentina centre-back Matias Moreno is also thought to be close to completion. Building on an impressive first season in the Championship, the Welcome to Wrexham cameras could be capturing promotion celebrations in nine months' time. talkSPORT Prediction: 5th talkSPORT's Predicted Championship Table - West Ham - Wolves - Middlesbrough - Burnley - Wrexham - Birmingham - Southampton - Norwich - Millwall - Bristol City - Derby - Swansea - QPR - Sheffield United - West Brom - Stoke - Portsmouth - Preston - Watford - Cardiff - Charlton - Bolton - Blackburn - Lincoln Wolves vs Blackburn at Molineux, is live on talkSPORT on Friday 14 August at 8pm Listen talkSPORT through the website or find us on DAB digital radio through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM. Download and listen to all our live commentaries via the talkSPORT app. For the latest odds and bet boosts for every big event, visit talkSPORT BET. 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