Watkins and Toney push for England recall as Saudi strikers chase Tuchel's attention
Quick summary
Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are competing in Saudi Arabia while both pushing for inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of upcoming internationals.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceAl-Hilal’s signing from Villa is thrown straight into big game against Al-Ahli and faces the highest of expectations
Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney spent 33 minutes on the pitch together a few weeks ago in Miami as England beat France 6-4 in a game for third place at the World Cup. They will be reunited on Tuesday in Riyadh for Al-Hilal v Al-Ahli, the first big clash between title hopefuls in the Saudi Pro League season.
Aston Villa fans will be hoping that, starting against Arsenal on Monday, Nicolas Jackson can quickly help them forget their departed talisman. That’s what Toney did at Brentford back in 2020 when he replaced Watkins. It may not only be supporters in the West Midlands and west London who will be curious to see how their alumni get on in west Asia. England’s heach coach, Thomas Tuchel, will surely tune in (or even turn up?) to get a look at the two forwards battling to become the clear understudy to Harry Kane as a new international cycle starts.
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What happened
The Guardian profiles the parallel journeys of Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, two English strikers whose moves to the Saudi Pro League have placed them outside the Premier League spotlight but very much within Thomas Tuchel's thinking. With England's forward options evolving under the German coach, both players see regular goals in the Middle East as the most direct route back into the national team. The piece examines how Tuchel balances rewarding Premier League form against the goal-scoring output of Englishmen thriving abroad, and what that means for the next England squad selection.
Chance analysis
English strikers have historically found it harder to earn national team recognition when they leave the Premier League, but the Saudi Pro League's growing competitiveness — and the goalscoring numbers its top forwards are producing — is forcing a rethink in the England camp. Tuchel's pragmatic approach suggests he will judge players on output rather than stage, meaning Watkins and Toney retain a credible route back into the squad if they keep scoring. The wider story also signals that the England talent pool is no longer strictly domestic, and that English players choosing moves to Saudi Arabia need not be writing off their international careers.
Watkins and Toney remain live candidates for England selection despite playing in Saudi Arabia, increasing competition for starting striker spots and potentially complicating selection for both club-level and international predictions.