Five forgotten England internationals who need January moves | OneFootball

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on the horizon and competition is fierce for a place in the England squad for next summer’s tournament.

England boast one of the deepest talent pools in world football, and only those in top form will be considered by Thomas Tuchel.

With just one more break – and transfer window – to come before the tournament, we’ve looked at five England internationals who should consider January moves to boost their World Cup chances.

Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal

Thomas Tuchel has said Lewis-Skelly needs more minutes if he is to earn inclusion. A regular in recent squads, the teenager marked his England debut with a goal in March.

However, the 19-year-old has struggled for regular football at Arsenal, falling down the pecking order after a breakout campaign in 2024/25. The left-back has played just 87 minutes of Premier League football this season, a situation which led to Tuchel excluding the teenager from November’s group.

“Myles was a very good team-mate and played for us in the last camp in the World Cup qualifier in Riga, so was Ruben Loftus-Cheek, so was Morgan Gibbs-White,” said Tuchel following the squad announcement.

“But I said last time there is a component to it and that is about competition and performance and the door is always open for guys who perform on a high level regularly.

“Myles, Ruben and Morgan got out-performed by O’Reilly, Alex Scott and Jude Bellingham in their positions. Myles simply needs more starts, more minutes. Now came a time when O’Reilly had so many starts in that position, so he is slightly ahead for this camp.”

Conor Gallagher – Atletico Madrid

Conor Gallagher departed the Premier League for Atletico Madrid in 2024, but has failed to command a first-choice role under Diego Simeone.

This season, the England international has fallen out of favour, starting just twice in La Liga.

As a result, he’s not been capped for the Three Lions since the summer. Manchester United are among the clubs credited with interest in bringing the 22-cap midfielder back to the Premier League in January.

Ivan Toney – Al-Ahli

Another player who has been largely been out of sight, out of mind, since leaving the Premier League.

Ivan Toney was left out of the England squad this month, with just one recognised centre-forward part of the group. His absence comes despite a record of 41 goals in 59 games since leaving Brentford for Al-Ahli.

Question marks remain over the strength of the Saudi Pro League, despite its influx of starts, and a loan return to England could put the 29-year-old back in the England spotlight.

Dominic Solanke – Tottenham Hotspur

An ankle injury has decimated Dominic Solanke’s start to the season, with the forward featuring for just 31 minutes in the Premier League.

Solanke scored 16 goals during his debut season at Spurs, but will return from his ankle issue with fierce competition for places. The North Londoners signed Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, with the French forward joining Mathys Tel and Richarlison as number nine options.

Thomas Frank is sure to assess Solanke before a decision is made on his future, but if the 28-year-old can not hit the ground running on his return, his World Cup dream will be in real jeopardy.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis – Southampton

Taylor Harwood-Bellis enjoyed a dream debut for England after scoring against the Republic of Ireland last November. Since then, however, the 23-year-old has drifted out of the picture following Southampton’s relegation and tough start in the Championship.

Harwood-Bellis is a long-shot to make the World Cup squad, though a Premier League transfer in January would perhaps be a necessity if he is to challenge for a place on the plane.

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