Le Tissier: Striker could sign for Tottenham in January and then challenge Harry Kane for England spot
Ivan Toney could be the man to compete with Harry Kane for the England striker spot at the World Cup after a backup was not named in Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad.
That is according to former England international Matt Le Tissier, who has exclusively told Football Insider that he can see the 29-year-old moving to the Premier League in January to boost his chances of another call-up.
England beat Albania 2-0 on Sunday (16 November) as Harry Kane netted a second-half brace to end their World Cup qualifiers on a high note.
Thomas Tuchel’s side had already confirmed their place in the 2026 tournament last month, and he saw fit to name Kane as his only out-and-out striker option for this latest round of fixtures.
Ollie Watkins has struggled for form at Aston Villa this season, while other options are scarce with Danny Welbeck and Liam Delap both not in the frame, so Ivan Toney has now been tipped to stake another claim.
Ivan Toney scores regularly in Saudi Arabia but has been axed by Thomas Tuchel
Toney has made seven appearances for England since his debut in 2023, with one goal and one assist provided as he went to Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate.
He has only played once for his country since Tuchel took over, with Toney being snubbed by the Three Lions boss in June as he played just two minutes across the two fixtures he was called up for.
The 29-year-old has scored regularly for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli since he made the move in 2024, though, with 30 goals in 44 appearances last season and 11 in 15 games so far in 2025-26.
Football Insider recently revealed that Toney is wanted by West Ham and Everton in January after previously being linked with a move to Spurs, so a return to English football could well be on the horizon before next summer’s tournament.
Le Tissier thinks Toney could make a play for World Cup spot if he seals Premier League return
After being asked about the lack of viable striker back-ups to Kane, Premier League legend Le Tissier exclusively told Football Insider that he can see Toney being the man to step up as second-fiddle above the likes of Watkins and Delap if he does return to English football soon.
He said: “I’d be surprised if he (Tuchel) didn’t take one back-up (to the World Cup), if that’s an Ivan Toney, perhaps, if he carries on scoring at the rate he’s scoring out in Saudi, or even if he comes back in January.
“It’s a possibility. He was linked to Spurs a little bit, so it’s a possibility that he might come back to the Premier League just to try and bolster his chances of playing at a World Cup.
“That’s the option that I think would make a lot of sense to Ivan if he’s really got that burning desire to play at a World Cup finals.
“Ollie Watkins is completely out of form at the moment, low on confidence. So the chance is there if that’s what Ivan wants.”