The Premier League is the pinnacle of football when it comes to the English game. It brings high-profile matches, better financial rewards and a chance to face the biggest players that the English game has to offer.
While many clubs have experienced this consistently throughout their history, some have never tested themselves at the highest level of the English game. Here are some clubs in that situation that could prove to be good challenges on FM27:
Plymouth Argyle
The Pilgrims have featured in the English top flight in their history. In fact, Plymouth is the biggest city in England never to have had a team in the English top flight.
Argyle currently reside in the third tier of English football, but have featured in all three divisions below the Premier League in recent seasons. They suffered relegation to League One last season after two campaigns in the English second tier.
In truth, they only narrowly avoided the drop in the first of the two seasons. It hasn’t all been doom and gloom for the club’s loyal fans, though. They’ve also enjoyed excellent campaigns, including the 101-point season by Steven Schumacher’s team that won promotion from League One to the Championship in 2022/23.
However, Argyle’s closest-ever push for promotion to the top flight came in the 1931–32 and 1952–53 seasons, when they finished fourth in the old Second Division, now the Championship.
With a loyal supporter base, can you take the Pilgrims to the promised land for the first time on FM27?
Wrexham
We all know the story of Wrexham, and how actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought into the club and helped the Dragons to three straight promotions from the National League to the Championship courtesy of the Disney documentary.
Although the Welsh club failed to make it four straight promotions in the 2025/26 season, they achieved their highest-ever placing in their history by finishing in seventh place, just missing out on promotion.
Their previous best finish came in their last spell in the English second tier in the 1978–79 season, when they finished 15th.
With solid financial backing from the club’s owners and a loyal fanbase, they have the foundations to win promotion in FM27. It’s unlikely to be as much of a challenge as some on our list, but it could be a fun save idea, as you aim to achieve a piece of history.
Port Vale
The team from Staffordshire are actually record breakers, as they are the team to have played in the English Football League for the longest (114 years) without achieving promotion to the English top flight.
The Valiants have played in every division in the EFL in their history. However, they have rarely even featured in the second tier in recent seasons. In fact, they last played second-tier football in the 1999–2000 season. Over the last few decades, Vale have bounced between League One and League Two.
The closest the club from the Potteries came to promotion to the top flight was in the 1930/31 season, when they finished fifth in the old Second Division. More recently, Vale finished eighth in the 1996–97 season under the now-legendary boss John Rudge, who managed the club for 16 years.
With rivals Stoke City once an established force in the English Premier League, it would be nice to guide their Staffordshire rivals to the English top flight and beyond on FM27.
Tranmere Rovers
Rovers sit in the shadow of Merseyside giants Everton and Liverpool as Merseyside’s third biggest club. The club has experienced a rollercoaster journey in recent decades, including hitting the depths of the non-league game for three seasons from 2015 to 2018.
However, Rovers have also had much better times, and the club were in League One in 2019/20. In the 1990s, Tranmere came agonisingly close to winning promotion to the English top flight under club legend Johnny King.
Rovers finished in fifth place twice and in fourth place from 1992 to 1995. However, they lost in the semi-finals of the play-offs on all three occasions. The fourth-place finish in the second tier remains their highest league placing.
Tranmere narrowly avoided a return to the National League in the 2025/26 season. Taking Rovers from the fourth tier to the Premier League to be alongside their neighbours on the other side of the Mersey on FM27 would be highly satisfying.
Peterborough United
The Posh are currently in their fifth straight season in League One after one season in the Championship. The lowest that United have been in the league pyramid was in the 2007/08 season when they won promotion back to League One.
Peterborough’s highest ever league finish was in the 1992/93 season, when they finished tenth in the old Second Division (now the Championship). There has been little sign of United improving that finish, as before this season, the Posh had spent 12 of their previous 13 seasons in League One.
Getting Peterborough promoted to the Premier League on FM27 would be highly impressive, simply because of the club spending so much time in the second tier of the English game.
Which club would you like to take to the Premier League in FM27?
