Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, England are presented with a bit of a problem. Harry Kane will start as the Three Lions’ main striker, but who should the Bayern Munich man’s chief support be?
Phil Foden was fielded as a false nine against Japan – but after a 1-0 defeat, in which Foden contributed very little, England have been sent back to the drawing board.
Kane’s injury record isn’t spotless – should he be ruled out, England will need to call upon one of these five players. But who is best suited to Thomas Tuchel’s style of play?
Ollie Watkins
This has been a lacklustre season by Ollie Watkins’ standards. He has scored just nine goals in 30 Premier League games this season – these aren’t terrible numbers by any means, but the Aston Villa ace is capable of much more.
A hard-working forward with excellent movement and electric pace, Watkins is a threat to anyone when operating at the peak of his powers.
Notably, he scored the winning goal against The Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 – as things stand, he has scored six international goals across 20 caps.
Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon is not a natural striker. When he plays up top, there are certain things that England won’t be able to do – for example, Gordon does not have the aerial ability to consistently win headers, nor does he have the physical presence to effectively hold the ball up.
The Newcastle man is, however, very quick – therefore, he is very dangerous when the ball is played into space behind the opposition defence.
A natural winger, Gordon is a very situational striker. Against teams who look to sit in and defend, his impact will be minimal – on the other hand, he can be very effective against teams looking to field a high line.
Danny Welbeck
At the start of the season, Danny Welbeck was nowhere near England contention – now, the Brighton star might be England’s best backup forward.
On his day, Welbeck is a complete striker. Fast, powerful and possessing excellent movement, he is enjoying something of an indian summer towards the end of his playing career.
Out of all the players on this list, none of them have scored as many Premier League goals as Welbeck has this season – he has 12 in 30 games thus far.
Dominic Solanke
Dominic Solanke simply hasn’t gotten going since he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2024. His goal scoring record has been modest at best – not only this, he has also struggled with injuries.
Nevertheless, Solanke has all the tools to be a top striker. Physically domineering and often composed in front of goal, the former Bournemouth man has yet to put it all together for the Lilywhites.
He should definitely be in contention for the England squad, but is he good enough to be Kane’s main understudy? He has work to do at both club and international level to convince his detractors.
Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney was not included in Tuchel’s latest England squad. Despite this, given his goalscoring record, there is a serious argument to be made for his involvement in the team.
Toney has scored 25 goals in 25 league games this season – sadly, he plays in the Saudi Pro League, which is likely the main reason for his disinclusion.
The level of quality in the Saudi Pro League is debatable at best – were Toney producing these numbers in one of Europe’s top five divisions, we have no doubt that he would be part of the current England squad.