A cut above the rest, Declan Rice was one of the first names on the teamsheet for Gareth Southgate at the 2024 Euros, and he performed exceptionally well. A scorer of some important goals for Arsenal in the 2023-24 season, the central midfielder has gone from strength to strength since his move, despite some eyebrows being raised over the hefty fee.
Rice’s role for England is similar to his role when playing for the Gunners—and, in short, that is to be the glue. An astute tackler with an incredible engine, the former West Ham United captain has all the tools to remain a crucial player for club and country in the foreseeable future, and he would no doubt have proven to be far more successful than the rapidly-ageing Casemiro as Arsenal continue to mount a Premier League title charge.
Moises Caicedo
Chelsea
One key reason Manchester United may have overlooked some of the talents on Solskjaer's promising wishlist was the Glazers' belief that the club needed immediate impact players rather than taking risks on prospects with high potential. This same thinking likely explains why Moises Caicedo landed at Chelsea the same summer Rice headed to north London.
However, Caicedo may not be the biggest missed opportunity of the bunch. Since joining Todd Boehly’s revolution at Stamford Bridge, his form has been inconsistent, ebbing and flowing in a way that hasn’t quite justified the record-breaking £115 million deadline-day price tag, the most expensive transfer in British football history.
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid
When it comes to the biggest names in world football, few eclipse the prestige of Jude Bellingham. Birmingham City faced widespread ridicule when they retired his shirt number, especially since the young midfielder left before he was even old enough to legally buy a pint in the UK. But fast-forward just four years, and the only ones with a knowing grin are the very club that shaped the young English talent into the global sensation he’s become today.
At just 21, Stourbridge’s very own has cemented himself as one of the finest midfielders on the planet. With a Champions League and La Liga double already under his belt after a stunning season in which he racked up 36 goal contributions in 42 games for Europe’s most prestigious club, Bellingham now finds himself in the hunt for a Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman to be seriously considered for the honour since Michael Owen claimed it back in 2001.
"We wanted Jude Bellingham badly—he’s a Manchester United player, but I respect he chose Dortmund," Solskjaer said. "That was probably sensible. But it’s why I respect Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dan James, and Jadon [Sancho]. Young players prepared to come into a team that wasn’t 100 percent there like it was when I arrived."
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
"I would have signed Kane every day of the week and my understanding was that he wanted to come," Solskjaer said, finalising his list. "But the club didn’t have the budget; with the financial constraints from COVID-19, there was no bottomless pit."
Had United not squandered funds on overhyped, underperforming signings in the years leading up to Harry Kane's long-anticipated departure from Tottenham last summer, they might have secured one of the world’s top strikers at Old Trafford.
Instead, it was Bayern Munich who flexed their financial muscle, bringing England’s all-time leading goalscorer to Germany. While Kane’s well-documented trophy drought remains unbroken for now, Bayern’s squad looks primed for a serious Champions League run this season in pursuit of their seventh title. If they are to achieve that, Kane will undoubtedly be the key figure driving their success.
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