England’s Transfer XI: Tuchel’s best team based on summer signings

Analysis

England are entering a brave new era under Thomas Tuchel.

After six years with Gareth Southgate as manager, during which England made it to two consecutive European Championship finals (losing both) and a World Cup semi-final, the Three Lions have finally moved on.

READ MORE: Chelsea pay ‘millions’ NOT to sign Jadon Sancho

And while the Thomas Tuchel era will feature many of the same players as well as some new faces, what if the German coach was forced to select only players who had moved club this season?

We've had a look at the transfers made this season and come up with the best possible England Transferred XI.

GK: Aaron Ramsdale

The England stopped joined Southampton from Arsenal in a bid to play more regular football. Southampton have struggled (Ramsdale has just 2 clean sheets all season) but he's played well all the same.

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RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Sometimes a player just doesn't fit at a club. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had this problem at Man Utd. They tried to use him in ways that didn't suit his unique skill-set as one of the best lock-down defenders in the world, and he was never comfortable outside of London.

Now he's back in the capital and flying for West Ham, making that €17.6 million fee look like a bargain. Gareth Southgate never inclined to make Wan-Bissaka part of his plans, Tuchel would do well to act differently.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo

The giant centre-back from the Man City academy joined Chelsea in a bid to play more and after struggling for minutes initially, injuries let him get into the XI. A strong, solid centre-back to anchor the back-line.

CB: Max Kilman

One of the great names in football, whose futsal career playing for England prevented Andriy Shevchenko from recruiting him to play for Ukraine, Max Kilman is an underrated centre-back and another very smart pick-up from West Ham (albeit for a much bigger fee of €47.5 million).

LB: Lewis Hall

Lewis Hall was a promising player on loan at Newcastle last season, but he didn't look particularly great. Eddie Howe signed him up on a permanent deal last summer and Hall's form exploded this season. An untimely ankle injury is the only reason he's not in line to be Thomas Tuchel's starting left-back.

RW: Raheem Sterling

It's sad, in many ways, to see the once-great Raheem Sterling reduced to warming the bench at Arsenal, but that's been where he's been found since his summer move to the Emirates.

It looked like Sterling could have a sizeable role in helping Arsenal get over the hill and win their first Premier League title for 21 years, but alas they have fallen short. Still, he's the only player in this team who is a bonafide England legend, with 20 goals in 82 caps and numerous starring performances at World Cups and Euros.

CM: Archie Gray

Spurs signed Archie Gray from Leeds for a massive €41.25 million in the summer despite him being just 18 years of age. Gray is a phenomenal talent and although injuries have forced him to fill in at the back for Spurs, his future surely lies in midfield and he would be a fine anchor for this England side (and maybe the real one in time).

CM: Elliot Anderson

When Elliot Anderson joined Nottingham Forest from Newcastle for a huge €41.2 million it had the air of a cheeky deal to keep the Magpies straight with PSR. Turns out Anderson was a true diamond in the rough and he has exploded for Forest this year (and they currently sit above Newcastle in the Premier League table). Pairing his energy and drive with Gray would give England a midfield no one would want to face.

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LM: Emile Smith Rowe

Technically an attacking midfielder, Smith-Rowe can play wide and he will do so here. He left Arsenal in search of first-team football and found it at Fulham. Finally injury-free for what seems like the first time in forever, the now 24 year-old is starting to become the player he always promised to be when he emerged out of Hale End alongside Bukayo Saka. Clever and crafty with the ball, he's a delight to watch.

ST: Dominic Solanke

Spurs' big outlay on Gray was dwarfed by the €64.3 million they shelled out for Dominic Solanke after the striker's impressive 21-goal season for Bournemouth. He's not yet hit those heights for Spurs but injuries are mostly to blame for that as, when fit, he's looked a sharp striking force the likes of which Spurs are sorely in need of.

ST: Liam Delap

It's a delight, in this age of tactical flexibility and positional versatility, to see a throwback to simpler times. Liam Delap is just a big lad up-top. That's not to say he's not a player of immense quality and potential, nor that he lacks skill, it's a simple descriptor of him.

A big lad up-top.

Delap's bruising physical style recalls the likes of Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson, proper hardmen of yesteryear. He is a menace for opponents to deal with despite playing for Ipswich (who he joined from Man City for €17.85 million).

Were the son of Throw-in Titan Rory Delap to play for a better club, then as long as the same club doesn't have Erling Haaland, he could really thrive. At just 21 years of age he's scored 10 times in 28 Premier League games for an awful Ipswich team.

Get him somewhere better and he will absolutely be pushing 20 Premier League goals. And if England ever find themselves in need of a goal late in games what better option could Thomas Tuchel ask for than to be able to call on the bruising presence of Liam Delap?