The multinational stars England may lose include Liverpool pair and £50m Villa player Emery refused to sell
England will be aware of Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah’s situations, while loads of midfielders eligible for other countries moved for £30m this summer.
This is not an exhaustive list of every player who is eligible to represent England and at least one other country at international level. But it is a collection of the main ones and will be periodically updated as and when other relevant players become apparent. Suggestions for other inclusions are encouraged.
Max Aarons (Bournemouth)
Approaches from Jamaica have been rejected by Aarons, whose 34 England youth caps, U21 Euros winner’s medal, 90 Premier League appearances, previous interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona and status as a right-back was never converted into senior international honours under a right-back-obsessed manager.
Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)
“I believe I should be going to the next World Cup either with England or Nigeria, that’s my target,” said the Chelsea centre-half in July 2020 while with Fulham. That ship has sailed for a Manchester City academy graduate whose Three Lions pathway was clear right up until the seniors.
Chuba Akpom (Ajax)
A 28-year-old whose most recent of four career Premier League appearances came in February 2015, with one incredible Championship season to his name and Ajax’s bench currently giving him splinters, was pursued on deadline day by Nottingham Forest. England and Nigeria seem slightly less enamoured.
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
Southgate and England “like” the injured Nottingham Forest midfielder, while Scotland manager Steve Clarke is keeping that particular door open for a player who needs “a little time and space to make that decision”. He was with Newcastle then; things have changed.
Trevoh Chalobah (Crystal Palace)
It remains a vague curiosity that a centre-half with substantial Premier and Champions League experience at 25, who has captained England youth sides from the U16s through the U20s and also represented the U21s, has yet to seemingly even register on the radar of the seniors. Chelsea don’t even seem to like him. Sierra Leone continue to quietly bide their time.
Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea)
Born in Austria to Nigerian parents, Chelsea midfielder Chukwuemeka has only donned England colours at youth level thus far. But the 20-year-old technically remains on the market.
Josh Dasilva (Brentford)
“I am Angolan, my parents are Angolan, they are proud of where they are from and I am proud to be Angolan. I haven’t really had any contact so I am not too sure what the situation is, but if a chance comes around we can see what happens.” Not even the experience of winning the European U19 Championship with England in 2017 can tie Dasilva down.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea)
There is talk of Dewsbury-Hall being eligible for not only the Republic of Ireland but Malaysia through familial ties. Chelsea will hope he is good enough to catch the eye of England and render any interest moot.
Marcus Edwards (Sporting)
An extensive and stunning career rebuild since leaving Spurs in 2019 has restored at least some of the relevance surrounding the question of Edwards’ eligibility. Cyprus is still an option for the 25-year-old but England would be foolish not to consider him.
Archie Gray (Spurs)
Liam Cooper once described himself as a “secret agent” hoping to tempt former Leeds teammate Gray over to Scotland. But “he’s flying at the minute with England as captain of the under-18s, which is a bit of a stinker for us”. As is registering on the Premier League radar after a £30m move to Spurs.
Rico Henry (Brentford)
It would be egregious to lose an excellent left-back to Jamaica, even with his recent injury record.
Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
There is not a great deal of official correspondence to be found as to whether Jones might explore his Nigerian roots more formally in a footballing sense. But he is 23 and has been an important part of Liverpool’s recent success. A place in England’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024 before being cut keeps him available.
Tino Livramento (Newcastle)
Injury had stunted the 21-year-old’s otherwise inexorable rise but he has finally escaped the Newcastle treatment room so should benefit from regular first-team opportunities, perhaps even taking Kieran Trippier’s spot for club and country. The defender’s Scottish mother and Portuguese father slightly muddy the otherwise clear waters of 34 England youth caps from the U15s up.
Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
By the end of his seven-and-a-half year Chelsea contract, the picture should become much clearer for Madueke in terms of whether England follow up on his youth caps or Nigeria swoop in.
Dwight McNeil (Everton)
“When I see some of the other young players who are getting called up and are in and around the squad then he can’t be far away in my opinion but I’m bound to say that, I see him every day,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche of McNeil in December 2019. The pair have been reunited to more moderate success at Everton and Jamaica might spring into action soon.
Reiss Nelson (Fulham)
While Nelson’s impact as an Arsenal super-sub has been substantial in relatively recent times, it will take more than 500 or so Premier League minutes since the 2020/21 season to coax England into a battle with Zimbabwe over the former Young Lion. A loan with Fulham might help.
Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Despite being on England’ standby list for Euro 2024, Quansah remains eligible for Scotland, Ghana and Barbados as he awaits his first cap. It feels like a matter of time really.
Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
Unai Emery refused to sanction a £50m move for Ramsey but it remains to be seen whether Jamaica can tempt him away from England. Younger brother Aaron, currently at Burnley, might also have a decision to make soon.
Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
The distant cousin of 84-cap Benin international Stephane is thought to be eligible to represent The Cheetahs but the perennially injured Sessegnon would hope to find enough consistency – or any minutes at all – back with Fulham to follow up on an England youth career which saw him constantly picked above his age group.
Djed Spence (Spurs)
“He’s like a Rolls-Royce,” Wes Morgan once said of the right-back. Perhaps Spence will be overlooked by England in the same way the Jamaica international centre-half was.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)
No longer does Wan-Bissaka wait by the phone expectedly for the FA call. He is firmly out of the frame when it comes to right-backs and an appointment with DR Congo remains a possibility, even after Southgate has gone and he has swapped Manchester United for West Ham.
Joe Willock (Newcastle)
England could do far worse than include Willock in a reimagining of their midfield as a reliable squad option. The 24-year-old has played a crucial role in Newcastle’s rise and Montserrat can only be held off for so long.
Capped players who meet the criteria to switch allegiance
Harvey Barnes (Newcastle)
A solitary England friendly cap in October 2020 will not keep Scotland from dangling a carrot which is no longer forthcoming for the injured Newcastle winger under Southgate. John Carver is the Tartan Army’s assistant manager, by the way, hence all the Newcastle.
Nathaniel Chalobah (West Brom)
A senior England career which officially spans zero minutes after his stoppage-time introduction to a 3-2 Nations League victory over Spain in October 2018 will not extend any further, so Sierra Leone might be checking the FIFA rulebook.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest)
“That decision hasn’t been made yet. I’m still thinking it over,” was the September claim from a player who still qualifies for an international switch despite his three England caps. “Ghana is a very good option but let’s wait and see. Hopefully once I start playing games here, maybe Gareth or Ghana will come.”
Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
Southgate has spoken typically diplomatically on the “very complex case” but the suggestion is that Greenwood will not be picked by England for at least as long as he is manager – which should please Jude Bellingham. Jamaica have no such qualms over selecting the Manchester United forward, with manager Heimir Hallgrimsson offering to carry Greenwood’s “baggage” because “we would like to have the best talent in our teams”.
Dominic Solanke (Spurs)
That friendly cap as a substitute against Brazil in November 2017 has not even translated into another call-up for Solanke yet, with the striker in the form of his career and potentially considering his international options; Nigeria would welcome him.