Thomas Tuchel named a 35-man squad for England’s upcoming friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan but, surprisingly, Trent Alexander-Arnold was not called up.

The 27-year-old has had an injury-hit opening season in Spain with Real Madrid. In recent weeks, though, he has put in a string of good performances after establishing himself as a first-team regular.

However, Tuchel has not been impressed with Alexander-Arnold and decided against including him in his latest England squad, despite Reece James missing through injury.

The German again snubbed Alexander-Arnold after Jarrel Quansah pulled out through injury as he called up Ben White. Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence and Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento are the other right-backs that have been preferred, while Ezri Konsa can also play the position if required.

Thomas Tuchel Responds to Alexander-Arnold’s Post

Alexander-Arnold took to social media after being snubbed by Tuchel. The Real Madrid star posted multiple images of himself in action against Atletico Madrid on Instagram with the caption: ‘Madrid. And nothing else.’

Tuchel was made aware of the Real Madrid star’s post and he made his feelings clear. He said: “Well, fair enough, fair enough.

“I think it is a very hard decision that we took. No doubt about his talent, no doubt about his career and what he can give to teams.

“We created a slightly different game model when he was not in camp in September, October, November – it was a game model that was built on intensity and positivity, built even on the profile of the right full back on overlaps, underlaps, very intense.

“It was a slightly different profile of players in camp who performed so well. We just stick to these guys.”

Thomas Tuchel Says it Was a ‘Hard Decision’ to Leave Out Alexander-Arnold

Tuchel then revealed he had a call with Alexander-Arnold to explain why he was not being included in his latest squad. He added:

“He was with us in June, he should have maybe deserved a second chance. It is a very hard decision, I am aware of it.

“I think I know what Trent can give us, so the choice was for Ben (White) and for Tino Livramento, to stick with the guys who actually had good camps with us in September, November, December. They also need the minutes and there are a lot of good players for this position and Djed Spence as well, who fights for a ticket.

“He took it on his chin, he will keep on going, I will make sure I see some matches from Real Madrid and maybe a Champions League match live to get my last impressions. He is on a long list and everyone is still in the mix but at the moment some other guys are just ahead.”

Alexander-Arnold has played 21 times for Real Madrid this season. He has recorded three assists and is yet to score his first goal for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur could persuade Mauricio Pochettino to quit the United States national team now and return to the Premier League before the World Cup, former Spurs and USA goalkeeper Kasey Keller has claimed.

The north London club have not ruled out making another managerial change before the end of the season following Igor Tudor’s disappointing start, with just one win in seven games.

While Pochettino remains one of the primary managerial targets for the summer, his arrival mid-season appears highly unlikely, considering the Argentine is focused on leading the United States to the World Cup on home soil.

Pochettino Tipped to Join Spurs Before End of Season

Keller, as quoted by football.london, said he believes Pochettino will leave his United States role after the World Cup, but could not rule out an earlier departure if Tottenham push hard enough for the Argentine’s return before the end of the season:

“Timing is so important, I think if Spurs could get a couple of wins in the next couple of matches, obviously the Forest match what a disaster.

“Then you think hold off, wait until after the World Cup and then have conversations. I think Spurs need to make a real serious move right now or the unthinkable is possible.”

Pochettino took charge of Tottenham in 2014 and led the club to the 2019 Champions League final.

Spurs also finished second in the Premier League under the Argentine in 2016/17 –their highest top-flight position in over 50 years.

The north London club’s lowest finish under Pochettino was sixth in the 2014/15 season, his first year in charge.

Roberto De Zerbi Unlikely to Join Spurs

Tottenham have been looking at several different options to succeed Tudor before the end of the season, but appear unlikely to appoint Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian manager is reportedly willing to keep his options open until the summer and would consider joining Spurs if they avoid Premier League relegation.

De Zerbi is available after leaving Marseille earlier this campaign and would bring two seasons of Premier League experience from his time at Brighton.

The 46-year-old spent two years with the Seagulls and took them to sixth in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season –the club’s highest top-flight finish to date.

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He’s Ready: Tottenham in Talks to Hire ‘One of the Premier League’s Best Managers’

He is good enough to make the step up at Tottenham Hotspur

Reece Wabara is a name that will be unfamiliar to many Premier League fans, as the former Manchester City youth academy prospect left the world of football behind at the age of 26 in 2017. He has found success as a businessman since he decided to step away from the beautiful game over seven years ago.

Having struggled to make a significant impact on the English game, Wabara played only one competitive game for Man City’s senior team as he was brought on as a substitute to replace Pablo Zabaleta in a game against Bolton Wanderers.

Loan spells in the lower leagues – with Ipswich Town, Oldham Athletic, Blackpool, and Doncaster Rovers – were not enough to force his way into the plans of Man City. The club were on the rise to prominence in the wake of their change in ownership in 2008 and this decreased the opportunity for players coming through the youth ranks.

With big new signings being brought in for eye-watering sums of money, there was no place in the squad at the Etihad for the defender, and his contract was terminated in 2014. It was actually before his departure from the club that Wabara set up his new venture in the fashion world.

How Reece Wabara Made His Fortune

The former right-back set up a clothing line in 2013

Despite still being involved in football in 2013 – and contracted to Man City at the time – Wabara decided to look into new ventures to run alongside his playing career. This decision was a stroke of genius in hindsight.

Wabara took advice from a man he went to school with, Lewis Morgan, to make a move into the world of business. Morgan is a co-founder of the globally popular leisure brand, Gym Shark. The ex-defender decided to dip his toe into the world of fashion as he plummeted £15,000 into a clothing line called Maniere De Voir in 2013.

Speaking to The Times in 2021 about his decision to quit football to pursue other projects, Wabara gave credit to his former school buddy.

It was a choice he is unlikely to regret as, more than a decade later, Wabara’s company now makes just under £35 million per year (£34.7 million), per the Sun. While the financial side of football makes it one of the most lucrative professions in the world, the former England Under-20 international never looked destined to be making the eye-watering sums of money he has in his new industry.

The brand opened its first store in London on Oxford Street in 2023, with Chelsea star Raheem Sterling and boxing hero Anthony Joshua just two big names that have donned some of the clothing produced by Wabara and co.

A man that could have been milling around in the lower leagues of English football desperately looking for a way back into the Premier League instead decided to take a leap of faith and give up on a dream that most young men hold. He has been proven more than right to make that jump.

From promising youngster to retired at 26

Manchester City may have brought him through the youth ranks, but Wabara originally began his football career at Walsall before moving to the blue side of Manchester in 2007. The first of four loan spells the youngster embarked on was in 2011 – when he joined Ipswich Town on loan. This gave clubs a chance to see the promising right-back in action for a senior team during six appearances.

Oldham Athletic were keen to take the player to League One and signed him on a loan deal that lasted until January 2013. Wabara’s final game for the club came in a 3-2 FA Cup victory over Premier League giants Liverpool. Further temporary moves to Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers followed before City terminated his deal and allowed him to move on to pastures new.

Recalling this part of his life, Wabara was very honest as he explained, per The Sun: “I knew my football days at City were coming to an end and my dad always taught me I needed a second option to ensure you’re relevant and financially stable.

“I founded MDV in late 2013 and launched a collection. The first clothing I produced was tracksuits, T-shirts, hoodies…I put them on the footballers that I knew and it took off,” he continued. A permanent transfer to Doncaster following his CIty exit would prove to be the most consistent and fruitful spell of his playing days, as Wabara represented the club 65 times in total, including the aforementioned loan stint.

Even after this brief resurgence in football, short-term deals at Barnsley, Wigan and Bolton were not enough to convince Wabara to continue his playing career in the beautiful game. In 2017, he officially retired and began focusing fully on his business venture.

Admitting it was not a straightforward choice, the now 33-year-old added: “My football wasn’t progressing in the way I intended it to. The business was progressing at an alarming rate and I had to choose one or the other because focus is important.”

Reece Wabara’s Net Worth

The former Man City defender ranks higher than a current Man United forward on the rich list

Maniere De Voir had a turnover of £1 million in the first year of business, so the dramatic rise to just shy of £35 million per year was always going to have a positive impact on Wabara’s earnings. Wabara was named among the Sunday Times’ Young Rich List for the first time in 2022. At the time, his personal wealth was estimated to be around £26 million.

In 2024, The Times reported that Wabara’s net worth had grown to £83 million, higher than the likes of Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. This is a staggering change in fortunes from once being a journeyman defender in the second and third tiers of English football. Now 34, there are no indications that the young entrepreneur is anywhere near finished growing this empire.