Breakout Championship stars this season and what their futures could hold including Djed Spence, Ben Bereton Diaz and Fabio Carvalho

The 2021/22 Championship has been full of drama and action but a couple of bright young talents have really stolen the show.

The route from the Championship to the Premier League has often proven to be successful for many players.

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The likes of Jamie Vardy and Ivan Toney have made the transition look very easy and these five have the potential to follow in their footsteps.

All of the following players are 22 and under, and though this might not be their first season of regular football, this has been the campaign in which they have made people sit up and take notice.

With that in mind, let us look at the top five Championship breakout stars from the 2021/22 campaign so far...

Djed Spence - Nottingham Forest

This is actually Spence's third season in the Championship but this is the first campaign in which he has made a massive impact.

The 21-year-old right wing-back is currently on loan at the City Ground from Middlesbrough and he has been fantastic ever since Steve Cooper arrived.

Spence has made 33 appearances for Forest, in which he has scored three goals and provided five assists. He hugely impressed in Forest's FA Cup run as well as he scored against Leicester and performed well against both Liverpool and Arsenal.

He was linked with a move to Tottenham in January but Arsenal and Bayern Munich are also keen, so Spence looks like he will definitely be in demand this summer.

His parent club were looking for £12million in January but Danny Murphy believes that he is now worth £25m.

He said: “Djed Spence has been a great story this season. On loan from Middlesbrough, he’s becoming a £25 million player at Forest.”

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Brennan Johnson - Nottingham Forest

Spence isn't the only breakout star from Forest this season and his teammate Johnson has been in incredible form too.

The 20-year-old made his league debut for Forest in the 2019/20 campaign but spent last year out on loan with Lincoln in League One. He impressed for the Imps and has since developed into a key player for Cooper's side.

Johnson has scored 11 goals in the league, including six in his last ten, and he has found himself more involved at international level.

Johnson made his debut for Wales in 2020 but has now played in four of the last six games for his country.

His form has not gone unnoticed in the Premier League, with the likes of Brentford and Newcastle linked in January. Forest were looking for £20m during the last transfer window, and you would think they could ask for an awful lot more in the summer.

Johnson has proved himself in League One and the Championship, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the Premier League next season either with or without Forest.

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Fabio Carvalho - Fulham

Carvalho made his debut for Fulham in the Carabao Cup last season but this has been his breakout year.

The 19-year-old has managed to score seven goals and provide six assists in 27 league appearances, and when he has been fit, he has started most games.

Carvalho nearly joined Liverpool in January but the Reds couldn't complete the deal in time, which could open the door for other sides to have a look.

The attacking midfielder's contract expires at Craven Cottage in the summer, so he will be available on a free.

Given the impact he has had on the league so far, it wouldn't be a surprise if other top-flight clubs tried to beat Liverpool to his signature.

You also can't rule Fulham out because it looks almost certain that they will be playing in the Premier League next season, and you would think they could offer him more first-team football.

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Ben Bereton Diaz - Blackburn Rovers

Bereton Diaz has been a revelation for Blackburn and the Chilean national team after five average years.

Before this season, the 22-year-old had never scored more than seven goals across a campaign but this year has been very different.

With Adam Armstrong departing to join Southampton in the summer, Tony Mowbray's side needed another source of goals and Bereton Diaz has stepped up.

He has scored 20 goals in 30 league appearances and Burnley were linked with him in January before signing Wout Weghorst instead.

However, his contract at Ewood Park expires at the end of June, so you would think there will be plenty of top-flight clubs sniffing around, especially if Rovers miss out on promotion.

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Isaiah Jones - Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough may have loaned Spence to Nottingham Forest but they have found the perfect replacement in Jones.

The 22-year-old is naturally a winger but Chris Wilder has converted him into a right wing-back and he has been a revelation.

Jones has spent time out on loan in Scotland but he is now a key player for Boro and has blown people away with his pace and direct running. He could maybe add more goals to his game but he has provided nine assists for Wilder's side.

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His form has drawn the attention of Manchester United, while Thomas Tuchel admitted that Chelsea changed their game plan to deal with Jones at the weekend.

He said: "They push their right wing-back, Jones, very high, he plays almost like a winger, so we adapted with Sarr to have the physical strength and speed to match this attacking force of Middlesbrough.";