Five England World Cup absentees who need a transfer
Suraj Radia
- 10 Nov 2022 11:32 CST
- 4 min read
England’s squad for the World Cup has been announced and, while the likes of James Maddison and Callum Wilson were included, there was disappointment for a number of players who just missed the cut.
Gareth Southgate opted to largely stick to his trusted core, perhaps making some absentees question what they need to do to get an opportunity to showcase their talents on the biggest stage.
With the January transfer window opening right after the tournament’s close, FootballTransfers takes a look at which players may be considering a transfer after their England heartbreak.
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Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Despite being at the heart of Milan’s defence during their Serie A win last year, Fikayo Tomori has been capped just three times for England.
The ex-Chelsea man was named in the Serie A Team of the Year but ultimately blew his big opportunity by getting run ragged and sent off against his former club in the Champions League.
Southgate may simply not get as many opportunities to watch Tomori’s domestic performances and the 24-year-old may need a return to the Premier League to truly prove what he can do at the highest level.
Ivan Toney (Brentford)
Ivan Toney has scored more goals than any English player outside of Harry Kane since Brentford were promoted to the Premier League last season.
The Bees striker was part of the most recent England squad prior to the World Cup but ultimately missed out, with Newcastle’s Callum Wilson preferred instead.
Having proven his goalscoring ability in the Premier League and perhaps achieving all he can at Brentford, Toney – who was wanted by Manchester United in the summer – may need to make another step up to avoid sliding further down the pecking order for England.
UNITED CALLING: Why Toney's England snub could pave the way for Man Utd transfer
Tammy Abraham
Another striker who missed out on Southgate’s squad is Tammy Abraham, with the Roma man paying the price for having only scored three times in 14 Serie A games this season.
Abraham netted 17 goals last season and had been a regular feature in the England squad prior to his decline in form but, like Tomori, it appears playing abroad does not always grab Southgate’s attention.
With Chelsea retaining a buy-back option on Abraham, showcasing how he has developed in Italy by making Premier League comeback would undoubtedly be the 25-year-old’s best method to getting back into England contention.
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace)
England’s options at left-back have taken a hit in recent times, with Ben Chilwell suffering a late injury to keep him out of contention, meaning right-back Kieran Trippier will likely be the cover for Luke Shaw.
However, Tyrick Mitchell will have been disappointed to have missed out despite the injuries, having received two caps earlier in the year.
The Crystal Palace defender is more defensive-minded and less glamorous than some of his counterparts, seemingly indicating that he needs to be doing it for a bigger team before being taken seriously by Southgate and England.
Harvey Barnes (Leicester)
While James Maddison got rewarded for his fantastic form with a place in the squad, his Leicester teammate Harvey Barnes has perhaps been shoved out of the limelight in exchange.
Barnes has been a consistent performer for the Foxes, netting five times this season, but he has failed to add to his solitary cap which he received in 2020.
With Maddison the main man at Leicester, Barnes may never break away from the playmaker’s shadow and could benefit from a transfer to a place where he can prove he is capable of being the focal point of a team.
