Over the last 5 or 6 years, the Championship has turned into one of the most exciting leagues in both England and Europe. The prize of course is the coveted position of being able to call the Premier League your home, and that is why there is so much excitement and desire in the league. After some notable relegations in the Premier League, the Championship is now a perfect mix of minnows overreaching, and rich clubs underperforming. We have consulted one of the best betting guides for English football to bring you the favourites to secure promotion come May/June 2019.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa are in something of a transition stage as they have recently been bought out, which has given the Birmingham side a much more stable financial footing to launch their promotion campaign. The most important step was keeping Steve Bruce at the helm, who has been a positive influence on the Villains since they were relegated two seasons ago. Key to their promotion bid will be keeping hold of Jack Grealish who has been heavily linked with Spurs, but the new ownership means they no longer have to sell.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest come into this season at odds of 9/1 to win the title, which may be a bridge too far. With this being said, promotion will certainly be on the mind of Aitor Karanka, who has been there and done it with Middlesbrough. Karanka has been given free rein to re-shape this squad of his, and with players such as Ben Osborn and new signing Joao Carvalho, Forest will be hoping to push as close to automatic promotion as they can.

Leeds

Leeds have been through the ringer in the last decade, going from Champions League matches to playing in league 1. Leeds have a great manager in Marcelo Bielsa, and they have made some smart signings such as Lewis Baker, as they look to finally regain their status as a Premier League outfit. As with any new boss, the results could be that Leeds get back to their best, or that the combination doesn’t work, and they end up going the other way. Knowing what Bielsa is capable of, we’d suggest that Leeds could reclaim that Premier League place in 2019.

Swansea

Swansea were deemed too good to go down last year, but we all know what happens when people say that! They did indeed go down which forced chairman Huw Jenkins to take stock and reassess what is happening in his club. The Swans managed to keep hold of star man Jordan Ayew and they will need to replace Alfie Mawson who has just signed for Fulham. Assuming that they back manager Graham Potter in the last days of the transfer window, Swansea can definitely push for promotion this year.

Who is your pick for promotion candidates this year?