5 goals in 5 games, and nobody else in the league close to it. Norwich City have the man every defence in the division is planning around.
Scoring charts1 May 2027
Jaden Philogene is the division's player of the month — 7.73
A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Ipswich Town man on 7.73 with 4 goal contributions.
Scoring charts1 May 2027
The division's brightest kid this month plays for Watford
Mamadou Doumbia was marked 7.53 and had a hand in 4 goals. Every recruitment department in the country now has a file open, and the club that has him knows exactly what that means.
The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 7 of them made by a Swansea City player marked 7.43, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Oxford United is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The general version of this complaint is that a player wants more. The specific version names the thing: he wants to walk out under floodlights against clubs from other countries, and he has stopped pretending otherwise.
“I want to win things, and I would like to do it here.” Nothing has been demanded and nothing has been threatened — but a boardroom at Coventry City hears a sentence like that exactly as it was built.
4 in 5 for Swansea City. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
3 in 5 for Ipswich Town. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
Nobody in the division bettered it last month: 6 goals in 4 appearances for Derby County.
Scoring charts1 Apr 2027
Sam Szmodics is the division's player of the month — 7.98
A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Derby County man on 7.98 with 7 goal contributions.
“I listened, I thought about it, and I am staying. That is the whole story.” The clubs had agreed a fee. Aidan Morris had not agreed to go, which turned out to be the part that mattered.
7.23 across the month and 2 goal contributions from a Preston player everybody else in the division now has a file on. His price rose this month without anybody at his club lifting a finger.
The last thing about a transfer that is still about the player is his signature on his own terms, and it is there. Coventry City have lost him in all but the paperwork.
6 assists across the month from a Preston player marked 7.43. Somebody has to open the door before anybody walks through it, and nobody in the league opened more.
Scoring charts1 Apr 2027
Óscar Aranda is the division's best-marked player — 8.08
The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 8.08 across 3 matches for Charlton Athletic.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Othmane Maamma will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Watford the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Marked 7.86 across it, 6 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Ipswich Town have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.
Scoring charts1 Mar 2027
The division's brightest kid this month plays for Ipswich Town
Sindre Walle Egeli was marked 7.86 and had a hand in 6 goals. Every recruitment department in the country now has a file open, and the club that has him knows exactly what that means.
The last thing about a transfer that is still about the player is his signature on his own terms, and it is there. Blackburn Rovers have lost him in all but the paperwork.
“I know what people will say. I know what I want, and it is here.” Peterborough United had the fee agreed and the shirt ready; they did not have the player, and now they will not.
3 assists, 7.18, and a Watford player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.
Everybody in the division was measured and a Coventry City man came out on top: 7.49 across the month and 5 goal contributions. There is no serious case for anybody else.
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
Scoring charts1 Feb 2027
Harry Amass is the month's best young player — 7.41
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.41 over the month and 3 goal contributions, from a Norwich City player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Ipswich Town can pretend not to have heard.
The last thing about a transfer that is still about the player is his signature on his own terms, and it is there. Bristol City have lost him in all but the paperwork.
4 assists, 7.44, and a Hull City player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.
4 in 7 for Blackburn Rovers. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
Marked 7.72 across it, 5 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Southampton have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.
Scoring charts1 Jan 2027
Harry Amass is the month's best young player — 7.45
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.45 over the month and 3 goal contributions, from a Norwich City player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Ipswich Town can pretend not to have heard.
6 assists, 7.60, and a Ipswich Town player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.
The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 7.97 across 5 matches for Ipswich Town.
The general version of this complaint is that a player wants more. The specific version names the thing: he wants to walk out under floodlights against clubs from other countries, and he has stopped pretending otherwise.
“I have ambitions, and I would like the club to share them.” Nobody has asked to leave and nobody has been shown the door — but a player chooses that sentence carefully, and a boardroom hears it exactly as it was meant.
6 in 6 for Ipswich Town. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
6 in 5 for Hull City. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
Everybody in the division was measured and a Hull City man came out on top: 8.27 across the month and 5 goal contributions. There is no serious case for anybody else.
Scoring charts1 Dec 2026
Bobby Clark is the month's best young player — 7.48
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.48 over the month and 2 goal contributions, from a Derby County player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 4 of them made by a Hull City player marked 7.80, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.
“I want to win things, and I would like to do it here.” Nothing has been demanded and nothing has been threatened — but a boardroom at Coventry City hears a sentence like that exactly as it was built.
It is the most legitimate ambition in the sport and the hardest for most clubs to satisfy. Diego Valdés wants continental football; whether Sheffield United can provide it is a question about the next two seasons, not about him.
5 in 3 for Coventry City. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
3 in 3 for West Bromwich Albion. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
4 goals in 5 games, and nobody else in the league close to it. Norwich City have the man every defence in the division is planning around.
Scoring charts1 Nov 2026
Jovon Makama is the division's player of the month — 7.82
A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Norwich City man on 7.82 with 6 goal contributions.
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.61 over the month and 2 goal contributions, from a Middlesbrough player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Hull City, and it is not being withdrawn.
3 assists across the month from a Norwich City player marked 7.53. Somebody has to open the door before anybody walks through it, and nobody in the league opened more.
Scoring charts1 Nov 2026
Jovon Makama is the division's best-marked player — 7.82
The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 7.82 across 5 matches for Norwich City.
It is the most legitimate ambition in the sport and the hardest for most clubs to satisfy. Exequiel Palacios wants continental football; whether Ipswich Town can provide it is a question about the next two seasons, not about him.
“I have ambitions, and I would like the club to share them.” Nobody has asked to leave and nobody has been shown the door — but a player chooses that sentence carefully, and a boardroom hears it exactly as it was meant.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Sheffield Wednesday is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
3 in 5 for Derby County. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.
Everybody in the division was measured and a Wrexham man came out on top: 7.73 across the month and 4 goal contributions. There is no serious case for anybody else.
Scoring charts1 Oct 2026
Miloš Luković is the month's best young player — 7.43
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.43 over the month and 4 goal contributions, from a Preston player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
The deal that would have taken Matt Clarke to Sheffield United has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to Derby County with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
3 assists across the month from a Millwall player marked 7.35. Somebody has to open the door before anybody walks through it, and nobody in the league opened more.
The offer from Colchester United for Chuba Akpom was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Scoring charts1 Oct 2026
Oli McBurnie is the division's best-marked player — 7.91
The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 7.91 across 3 matches for Hull City.
The month closes with George Hirst out in front — 5 goals in 4 games, and Stoke City have the division's most feared finisher.
Scoring charts1 Sep 2026
George Hirst is the division's player of the month — 7.73
A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Stoke City man on 7.73 with 5 goal contributions.
Scoring charts1 Sep 2026
Ibrahim Osman is the month's best young player — 7.10
The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.10 over the month and 2 goal contributions, from a Birmingham player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Wolverhampton waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Watford is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
Scoring charts1 Sep 2026
Rio Cardines leads the division for assists — 6.85
The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 3 of them made by a Bristol City player marked 6.85, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Blackburn Rovers, and it is not being withdrawn.
Scoring charts1 Sep 2026
Lukas Jensen is the division's best-marked player — 7.80
The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 7.80 across 4 matches for Millwall.
“I want to be playing for trophies while my legs still let me.” Nothing in that sentence is a transfer request, and nobody at Hull City heard it as anything else.
The general version of this complaint is that a player wants more. The specific version names the thing: he wants to walk out under floodlights against clubs from other countries, and he has stopped pretending otherwise.
11 months left and silence from upstairs — no offer, no talks, nothing for his people to answer. Clubs that let a calendar do their negotiating usually end up negotiating with the calendar.