Before a ball was kicked in this year’s EFL Championship, our models rated newly-promoted Ipswich Town as the fifth-strongest team in the division. Their underlying performance in League One was so good that we had them as one of the favourites to go up – something they achieved last week.

With promotion and relegation places being decided across Europe, below are a number of teams whose place in their new division next season is likely to surprise many. For these clubs, having a true sense of where they are in their new league is critical for deciding the extent to which a squad needs changes this summer. The same is true for their competitors, who must assess the strength of their division before weighing up squad building decisions.