Dejphon Chansiri’s doomed reign at Sheffield Wednesday makes the Owls likely to go down, but Oxford’s relegation odds look more appealing.
| 25/26 Championship Relegation Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1.33 |
| Oxford United | 3.60 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3.75 |
| Hull City | 4.00 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 4.33 |
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Sheff Wed relegation odds too short to back
Sheffield Wednesday finished the 2024/25 Championship season on a high. Under Danny Rohl, the Owls found some consistency in the latter stages of the campaign to haul themselves into a safe, mid-table position.
Hopes were high that Rohl would receive the support needed to build on a 12th-place finish and challenge for the top-six spot in 2025/26.
However, neither Wednesday fans nor EFL pundits anticipated another devastating turn in Dejphon Chansiri’s chaotic ownership.
Chansiri appears to be running low on funds to run the club and unwilling to consider realistic offers for the club. Hence, Wednesday have been forced to let several first team regulars depart this summer. It’s not only the players – Rohl has also departed, along with the bulk of his coaching staff.
The Owls have managed to tie down veteran Barry Bannan to a new contract, but even the Scotsman’s presence won’t be enough to help Wednesday this term. With precious little firepower, the Owls will struggle to dominate games this season.
Their season kicks off against promotion contenders Leicester City, although reports suggest the Owls’ squad are still weighing up boycotting the game in protest against Chansiri’s reign.
Although backing Wednesday for the drop seems to be the easy option, the bookmakers have already slashed their odds. A probability of over 75% before a ball has been kicked seems too high, especially if Chansiri sells up imminently and a new era commences.
Oxford United
Oxford United avoided an immediate return to League One last season with a 17th-place finish, four points clear of the relegation zone. Credit goes to Gary Rowett, whose uncompromising, gritty style of play was enough to keep the club in the second tier.
However, the club don’t seem to be building on their Championship survival. A quick glance at their transfer business this summer would suggest this too.
The team have signed two loanees from Cagliari and Fulham, followed by a right-back from League One Huddersfield and a defensive midfielder from bottom-half Eredivisie side Heracles Almelo.
It’s possible the club are relying on Rowett to build a side that can grind out Championship survival on a budget once again. However, this is rarely a sustainable approach to take.
Oxford face Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester in their opening five Championship fixtures this season. It’s quite possible they could find themselves in the bottom three after the first international break.
At a probability of 28.57% to be relegated, this figure could rise considerably - especially if no more signings are made at the Kassam Stadium.
Charlton Athletic
Led by the charismatic Nathan Jones, the Addicks surged to the 2024/25 League One playoff final in May. Charlton secured their return to the Championship by edging out Leyton Orient at Wembley.
Like most newly-promoted teams, Charlton are considered one of the favourites for the drop. However, their recent work in the transfer market gives them a solid chance of survival.
An investment of around £10m has enabled Jones to recruit top talents from League One such as Harvey Knibbs, Tanto Olaofe and Rob Apter. They were also able to secure American striker Charlie Kelman away from QPR after a successful loan spell with Leyton Orient last season.
The shrewd signing of experienced keeper Thomas Kaminski from Luton Town also adds further strength. The 31-year-old will provide much-needed composure and reliability in goal.
Hull City
The Tigers are another team that appear vulnerable to relegation from the Championship in 2025/26. Hull only avoided relegation into League One last season by virtue of better goal difference over Luton Town.
Things are unlikely to get much better this term either. The club’s unpredictable Turkish ownership have made another leftfield managerial appointment, recruiting Bosnian Sergej Jakirovic as their new head coach.
Jakirovic is another coach that has zero experience of English football, which could prove decisive. Their transfer activity is largely uninspiring too. Gustavo Puerta could be a clever pick-up from Bayer Leverkusen, but the team have been forced to dip largely into the free transfer market, having splurged heavily in the last two seasons.
At a probability of 25% for relegation, the Tigers could offer better value to back than current third favourites Charlton.
Queens Park Rangers
QPR stayed free of relegation trouble last season with a 15th-place finish. The west London club then lost its manager, Marti Cifuentes, who left Rangers to take charge of Leicester City.
The R’s have since replaced Cifuentes with Julien Stephan, a French coach who’s been in charge of the likes of Rennes and Strasbourg in his native league.
Following Charlie Kelman’s move to Charlton, QPR fans expected more activity in the transfer market. However, they’ve invested a small amount in Burton forward Rumarn Burrell. Their marquee signing was Peterborough winger, Kwame Poku, who turned down the likes of Birmingham to join QPR.
The likes of Poku, Karamoko Dembele and Ilias Chair should offer Rangers enough flair and creativity to stay away from the relegation zone, despite being fifth favourites at present.