World Cup 2026: Should Ivan Toney make the England Squad?

England boss Thomas Tuchel probably already has a good idea of the players who are guaranteed a spot in his 2026 World Cup squad, while there will likely be some places up for grabs.

One player who will be trying to get himself back into the Three Lions set-up is Ivan Toney, who is currently Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Below I take a look at his chances of getting a seat on the plane.

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At this moment in time, it is going to be difficult for Toney to find himself in Tuchel's plans because he is not playing in one of the top European leagues. However, it has been reported that the striker is seeking a return to England in the January transfer window, so a loan move could be on the horizon.

It's just a case of who in the Premier League is in need of a centre-forward and can negotiate a deal. West Ham United might hold an interest as it seems they are looking to offload veteran front man Niclas Fullkrug.

It is all just speculation at the moment and we won't have a clear idea of what will happen with Toney until the transfer market opens. I'm sure his representatives are already having conversations and letting clubs know of his intentions to return to the UK.

Even if that happens, Toney will still have a lot of work to do to catch Tuchel's eye. We already know that Harry Kane, the Three Lions' all-time top scorer is guaranteed a spot, while the likes of Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke will also be tussling to be the Bayern Munich man's understudy.

That being said, Watkins has just one league goal for Aston Villa this season and Solanke has been plagued by an ankle injury for most of the season.

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Tuchel did turn to Toney for the June camp, his only call-up to date under the German coach. Toney was a late substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly and he has not been selected since, which is likely a result of where he is plying his trade.

That does need to change to boost his chances, but he would then also need to have an impactful second half of the season given the quality of the players he is competing with for a place at the World Cup.

Should there be a few clubs interested in his services from the Premier League or from one of the top European leagues, Toney would need to make a very careful decision. Game time would be a massive factor, so assessing the potential destinations should be based on somewhere he'd back himself to become a first-team regular.

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Right now it feels like there is a lot of things that need to line up for him to get back in the England picture, hence his 4/1 price to make next summer's squad.