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Lineker and Shearer React to ‘Bizarre’ Theory on Why Trent Left Out of England Squad

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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have admitted to being bemused that Thomas Tuchel has opted against selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold for the England squad this month.

The right-back has been installed as the first-choice at the Bernabeu following his move from Liverpool last summer, with the Spanish giants sitting four points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race, while they are also in the Champions League quarter-finals at this stage.

But despite his decent form, Tuchel opted against choosing Trent in an enlarged 35-man squad for this month’s games against Uruguay and Japan in preparation for the World Cup, which would seemingly make it very difficult for him to be part of the squad for the tournament this summer.

Lineker Baffled by Trent England Omission

gary lineker pundit

Tuchel chose to name Tino Livramento, Djed Spence, Lewis Hall and Jarrell Quansah as his full-back options for the upcoming camp, with Reece James sidelined through injury too, and while on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker admitted that he doesn’t understand the decision.

“For me, looking at the squad and the fact he’s not put him in this squad when he’s obviously been playing a bit now in Real Madrid, it suggests to me that Tuchel is not having him,” he said.

“If he suddenly plays brilliantly, and they go on and win the Champions League and stuff, he’d probably be forced to put him in. But what I will say, I think without Trent, it lessens your chances slightly, very slightly, even if it’s like half a percent, whatever, if you’re 15 minutes to go, and you’re playing in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, or at semi-finals, and you’re 1-0 down, and he was on the bench, and you could put that delivery and that passing ability, something completely different. I can’t see why you wouldn’t want that asset.

“Even if you don’t see him as a starter because you’re worried about him defensively. That would be my point.”

Shearer responded to that with a theory of his own, linking the decision to Alexander-Arnold’s relationship with Jude Bellingham.

“Me and Wayne [Rooney] were talking yesterday. Jude Bellingham and Trent are a pretty powerful couple. Would there be a point in Tuchel’s mind where he thinks that if those two are together, I’m not going to play either of them, or may play one of them or one of the other, that then they have an influence on the squad,” Shearer asked.

But Lineker feels that is unlikely to be the case, and instead believes that Tuchel may just be sending a message.

“I think that would be bizarre,” he said.

“What I will say, what we might be thinking is that he left Bellingham out of the previous squad. Maybe to send a message. Maybe he’s leaving Trent out just to send another message. But we’re getting quite close to the competition now.”

Trent Should be Reece James Cover

Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold during the match vs Man City

With Tuchel clearly a huge fan of James, who can provide a very similar skillset to Trent, it made sense for the former Liverpool man to not be included. But with James unavailable, the German should surely be taking a closer look at him in this camp, just in case he needs him for the tournament.

Having a player as special as Trent is a rare occurrence, and like Lineker says, in a situation where you need something different he could be the key to unlock opposition defences.

However, if the manager truly doesn’t feel that need, then he shouldn’t be selecting players to please the outside world, and he should pick the team he feels gives England the best chance of winning the World Cup – whether that’s with or without Trent.

England logo and the World Cup trophy


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German Media React to Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup Squad

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The German media have delivered a strong reaction on Thomas Tuchel after seeing England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup finals.

Tuchel made several controversial decisions with his 26-man squad for this summer’s showpiece international tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold were among the highest-profile omissions.

Other players who missed the cut include Manchester United duo Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, who admitted he was “shocked” and “gutted” to be left out, Nottingham Forest’s in-form midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

“I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel told reporters after his 26-man squad was announced.

“Teams win championships, it is as simple as that. What we are trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team. With that in mind, we chose a very balanced squad.

“I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26, 100% committed players in camp with us who know their role, who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch and are ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.”

Thomas Tuchel

But while Tuchel is convinced he’s picked the best-possible England squad to win this summer’s World Cup, the German press clearly disagree. According to the Daily Mail, Henning Feindt, sports editor of German newspaper BILD, wrote this week:

“Tuchel has opted to leave out exceptional players like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Three of the ten most valuable players – CUT OUT.

“That would be like (Germany manager Julian) Nagelsmann dropping (Florian) Wirtz and (Joshua) Kimmich from the team in addition to the out-of-form (Jamal) Musiala. In short: madness – but also incredibly exciting.”

Feindt also believes Tuchel will be sacked unless England win the World Cup for the first time since 1966 due to the German tactician’s controversial squad selection.


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Despite leaving out a handful of top-class players, England are still among the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy in New Jersey on July 19.

The Three Lions begin their World Cup campaign with a tough match against Croatia on June 17 before facing Ghana (June 23) and Panama (June 27).

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Celtic Interested in Signing Former Real Madrid Striker Alvaro Rodriguez

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Celtic are eyeing a move to sign a striker in the summer transfer window who left Real Madrid in 2025.

Signing a new forward could be one of Celtic’s priorities heading into the summer transfer window, with Martin O’Neill struggling to find a consistent goalscorer in his team.

Daizen Maeda has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, meaning signing a new forward will be imperative heading into the 2026-2027 season.

Kelechi Iheanacho was one of Celtic’s key strikers towards the end of the campaign, but the Nigerian forward has struggled with injuries and consistency over the last few years.

Now, Celtic have entered the market to sign a new centre forward.


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Celtic Eyeing Former Real Madrid Striker

Celtic Park

According to a report from Team Talk, Celtic are now intensifying their search to sign a new striker as they look for a replacement for Maeda.

It’s claimed that former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Rodriguez has emerged as a leading target for the Glasgow club.

The 21-year-old who joined Elche from Real Madrid last summer is set to cost in the region of £13m, which might be a difficult figure for Celtic to hit.

Rodriguez, described as a La Liga unicorn, provided 12 goal contributions in 34 La Liga appearances this season.

It’s an impressive return, especially playing for a side who were battling near the bottom of the league.

Big Summer Ahead for Celtic

Celtic caretaker manager Martin O'Neill looks on during win vs Stuttgart

It’s a big summer approaching for Celtic for multiple reasons. Firstly, the Glasgow giants need to solve their managerial situation, with manager O’Neill leaving the club this summer.

It’s currently unclear who is going to replace the experienced coach, and a new manager could impact their recruitment, meaning they need to solve it quickly.

Celtic were also behind in the race for the Scottish Premiership title for the majority of the season.

Hearts led the way for the most part, falling at the final hurdle. Given how impressive their recruitment has been, Celtic need to make sure they are sharp in the market.

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Man Utd Open Talks to Sign Robert Lewandowski

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Manchester United have secured their return to the Champions League for next season, and now they are already being active in the transfer market.

The Red Devils have found an agreement with Brazil international Ederson about a move from Atalanta, as Michael Carrick looks to strengthen his midfield options, with a number of other arrivals expected during the upcoming transfer window.

At least one more midfielder, a left-back, and a left-winger are all expected to be targeted at Old Trafford, but there are also expected to be some exits from the club, and those players may need to be replaced too.

Man Utd Have a Striker Problem

Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee reacts to a decision vs Burnley

Last summer the club splashed over £200m on upgrading their attacking options, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko. All three signings proved to be a success too, with each player hitting double figures for goals in the Premier League.

But while they all shone, the lack of depth in the attack could prove to be an issue next season. Amad Diallo only managed two goals and three assists all season, while Joshua Zirkzee’s future looks bleak after limited game time over his two seasons at the club.

The Ivorian winger is highly unlikely to leave, having been a key member of Carrick’s attack and only recently signing a new long-term contract, but Zirkzee could well be on the move amid strong interest from Serie A clubs looking to take him back to Italy.

Should the Netherlands international depart, then a new striker will almost certainly be needed to help cover the load amid the busier schedule for next season.

But with the priority on strengthening other key positions first and foremost with their transfer budget, Man Utd need to be sensible and clever about the players they target in the transfer market for the striker role, and they have already made a move for one shrewd option.

Man Utd Open Talks for Lewandowski

Lewandowski MixCollage-23-Jan-2026-03-53-PM-7871

According to a report back in March, Man Utd had opened talks with Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski about a potential move to Old Trafford at the end of his contract.

The legendary Polish striker, who has been described as ‘one of the best strikers ever’, has now confirmed that he will depart the Camp Nou after four years in Spain, where he scored an incredible 120 goals in 193 games for the club, entering the top ten of their all-time scorers list.

There’s no news yet on what his next destination will be, but Man Utd should be doing all they can to convince him to finally try his hand at the Premier League.

Sesko would still be the first-choice option, but learning from someone like Lewandowski would be the perfect mentorship for a year, and the club could rely on him to chip in with a fair share of goals too. It would be a shrewd bit of business, and a perfect signing to fill a short-term problem, while the big money goes on more priority positions.


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