Harry Redknapp has named four England stars that he believes should have made the World Cup squad after Thomas Tuchel left out a series of big-name players.
Tuchel has been tasked with leading England’s charge at this summer’s World Cup, with the Three Lions among the favourites to go all the way in North America.
England have two friendlies ahead of kicking off their World Cup venture, with games against New Zealand and Costa Rica slated. They take on New Zealand on Saturday before facing Costa Rica on June 11.
Tuchel’s 26-man squad will be on display before they meet old rivals Croatia in their Group L clash on June 17.
The German boss got fans and critics alike talking about his squad selection, with many high-profile players left out, including a couple of attacking stars.
Four England Players Harry Redknapp Would Have Taken to World Cup
Redknapp, who was linked with the England job in 2012, has shared his thoughts on Tuchel’s World Cup squad. He called the ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss a “great manager”, but would have liked to have seen Cole Palmer and Phil Foden on the plane to the United States.
He also name-dropped Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen, who were snubbed of a spot in Tuchel’s World Cup party.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp said: “He certainly knows what he’s doing, that’s for sure.
“He’s a great manager and I think we’ve got the players. There’s one or two that didn’t go. We’ve all got opinions, but at the end of the day, the manager’s opinion is the one that counts. I’d like to have seen. I’m a big Cole Palmer fan, Phil Foden fan, Harry Maguire… Bowen.”
‘Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen Would All Feel Quite Hard Done by’
Redknapp believes Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen can all feel quite hard done by for not making the World Cup squad and hopes England can bring it home this summer for the first time since 1966.
“You can’t take everybody, but certainly them four would all feel quite hard done by not making it. Hopefully he’s picked the right squad and hopefully he picks the right team and we can bring it home,” the 79-year-old added.
“London would be buzzing, wouldn’t it, again. It would be like 66 the last time we won it. Them scenes in London were incredible that night, so we want to have that again.”
Palmer, Foden, Maguire and Bowen weren’t the only players to miss out on Tuchel’s squad as Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton also failed to make the England team.
Arsenal are in the market for reinforcements in the summer transfer window despite lifting the Premier League title.
The Gunners won’t want to stand still after their first-place finish, looking to bring in new additions all across the team.
The North London side were recently knocked out of the Champions League final by Paris Saint-Germain, so they will be looking for reinforcements to help them go one step further in Europe.
Despite winning the Premier League, there are still some areas of Mikel Arteta’s squad that could do with being improved.
With their season now over following the Champions League final, attention for the Gunners will now turn to the summer transfer window.
Arsenal Make Forward Transfer Call
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have recently made a call to be informed on the future of Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi ahead of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are waiting to be informed by the Cherries about a potential price tag after the young forward enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League.
Kroupi broke the record in the Premier League towards the end of the season by scoring his 13th goal, ensuring he has the most strikes scored by a teenager in their debut campaign.
After a strong start to life in England, Kroupi is now being targeted by some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Kroupi Could be Expensive Addition for Arsenal
AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi celebrates
According to reports, Arsenal could make one marquee signing in the summer transfer window.
In an awful run of news, English football icon John Barnes has revealed he also has cancer. It comes in the same week that two other Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan also shared they had the disease.
The former winger said he was diagnosed after his kids forced him to get checked. Speaking on Times Radio, he explained that the topic can feel taboo as men believe it makes them “less than a man.”
Going into more detail, he explained that he has prostate cancer, noting:
“Men have to then bite the bullet and swallow their pride and admit if they have problems and say it. So it’s a good thing that that has come out.
“I’m fine. I have my PSA and everything is okay. The thing about it is that a lot of men don’t want to admit it or want to have it done because it makes them feel less than a man.
“But you’re not, you’re exactly the same, you’re the same person and you’re around and that’s the main thing.”
The news comes after Liverpool legend Keegan revealed his cancer diagnosis at the start of the year, while Dalglish has also revealed he is receiving treatment for cancer.
It was a brilliant season for Arsenal as they won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. However, Mikel Arteta will look back on it with a sense of frustration after the Gunners came so close to a historical double.
Indeed, the Gunners were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, losing on penalties after the teams played out a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes. The club’s Spanish manager is not one to rest on his laurels, and it appears as though Arsenal are already working on improving in 2026/27.
The summer transfer market is the most obvious way to address any shortcomings. With that in mind, it seems Arteta and his staff will be busy in the coming months with some notable arrivals. To fund that, however, some players will have to leave.
Ben White has long been one of the most reliable players in Arteta’s team, respected by teammates and fans for regularly putting his body on the line for the club since arriving from Brighton in 2021. Sadly, that commitment has cost him at times, and he’s spent the past two seasons plagued by injuries.
Jurrien Timber has made the first-choice right-back spot his own, while Cristhian Mosquera appears to be an able alternative as well. That said, the report names Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento as a potential target this summer.
Gabriel Martinelli
One of the few players in the current team to have joined before Arteta took charge, Gabriel Martinelli arrived as a teenager in 2019 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular. While a reliable squad option, just one goal in the Premier League this season is far from ideal.
If Arsenal want to reach an even greater level, it’s little wonder they are looking at the left flank as an area to improve upon. The report suggests Marcus Rashford could be of interest ‘if the price is right’.
Leandro Trossard has proved to be worth every penny since signing from Brighton in January 2023 for just £27m. That said, he’s never quite been spectacular enough to truly make the left-wing position his own, sharing duties with Martinelli.
Now 31, it appears as though Arteta may be willing to cash in on the Belgian. If this is the case, the report names Aston Villa’s £80m-rated Morgan Rogers as an ‘admired’ option to bolster the attack. The Englishman plays more centrally at times for Villa, but has spent plenty of time on the wing across his career.
Gabriel Jesus
Finally, Gabriel Jesus looks set to leave. Although the report suggests he’d be willing to stay around and gain British citizenship, Arsenal have said the 29-year-old can leave if they offer over £18m. The Brazilian was electric when he first arrived, but a bad knee injury during the 2022 World Cup has derailed his career in north London.
The dream replacement is said to be Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. His preference is Barcelona but the Gunners may have a chance if they are willing to pay the £120m price tag, especially as Atletico don’t seem keen to sell to their La Liga rivals.
