FourFourTwo: Watkins' Move to Saudi Arabia Signals England Should Refresh Attack Early for Euro 2028

According to a FourFourTwo analysis, Ollie Watkins' move to Al Hilal this summer could become an important turning point in the renewal of England's attack. With Watkins and Ivan Toney both aged 30 or above and playing in the Saudi Pro League, England manager Thomas Tuchel should begin developing younger centre-forwards for Euro 2028.

Just 45 days ago, Watkins and Toney represented England together in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff. Now the two have become Saudi Pro League rivals. Watkins scored on his Al Hilal debut, helping the team beat Toney's Al Ahli 3-0.

After Watkins moved to Saudi Arabia, all three centre-forwards in England's World Cup squad are no longer playing in the Premier League. Watkins and Toney are both 30, while Kane is already 33. However, Kane scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern and England in all competitions last season and remains a world-class striker, with expectations that he will still captain England at Euro 2028.

By comparison, Watkins and Toney's positions in the national team are not secure. Both will be 32 by Euro 2028, and they are likely to remain in the Saudi Pro League for the next two seasons.

Playing in Saudi Arabia does not necessarily mean being ruled out of England selection. Tuchel previously called up Toney for international matches in June 2025 and selected him again for the World Cup squad. However, even when the two players maintained a high level, Tuchel rarely truly relied on them.

Since Tuchel took charge, Watkins has made six appearances for England, totalling 177 minutes, and only started the friendlies against Wales and New Zealand. During the World Cup, he played twice, including once when England were already leading Panama 2-0, and another substitute appearance at half-time against France in the third-place playoff when England were already 4-0 ahead.

Toney made only four appearances under Tuchel, totalling 122 minutes. Notably, when England genuinely needed goals, Tuchel did not prioritise either player. In the World Cup group-stage 0-0 draw with Ghana, as well as the matches against Panama and DR Congo when the situations remained tight, neither received major opportunities. In the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Toney only came on as a substitute in the final seconds.

Therefore, the article believes this shows Tuchel has not fully trusted Watkins and Toney. Considering their ages and the competitive level of their current league, now is the right time for England to find the next generation of centre-forwards.

The problem is that England currently do not have a particularly mature replacement. Solanke and Calvert-Lewin were assessed in friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan in March this year, but neither took their chance and both were eventually left out of the World Cup squad. By Euro 2028, they will be 30 and 31 respectively, and together they have only 17 senior international appearances.

The article therefore argues that England should not simply look for short-term replacements for Watkins and Toney, but should gradually develop young strikers capable of supporting the team for the next decade.

The most notable candidate is 23-year-old Liam Delap, who scored 12 Premier League goals for relegated Ipswich Town in the 2024-25 season. After an unsuccessful spell developing at Chelsea last season, he joined Nottingham Forest this summer for a club-record transfer fee of £50 million. If he quickly becomes the team's attacking focal point, he could receive an England call-up as early as November this year.

The 21-year-old Will Lankshear is another potential option. He joined promotion-chasing Middlesbrough from Tottenham this summer, with the transfer fee potentially reaching £20 million. During his loan spell at Oxford United last season, he scored 12 goals despite the team's relegation, and after joining Middlesbrough this season he has scored seven goals in his first seven matches. If he maintains this efficiency, he could soon enter the radar of Premier League clubs.

Another even younger option is Aston Villa forward Brian Madjo. He will not turn 18 until January next year, but he already scored against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup last month. Madjo is currently recovering from injury, but is expected to receive plenty of playing opportunities after returning. If he can prove himself in the Premier League, he could even compete for a place in the Euro 2028 squad.

The article believes this autumn's Nations League may not be the best time for a complete attacking overhaul, but the Euro 2028 qualifiers beginning next March will provide Tuchel with many opportunities to experiment.

Kane remains irreplaceable in the short term, but England need to start thinking about the question of 'after Kane'. Young forwards such as Delap, Lankshear and Madjo must prove themselves through club performances, and Tuchel also needs the courage to give newcomers opportunities rather than continuing to rely on more experienced veterans who clearly have not earned his full trust.