This week, through the doors of St George’s Park walked over £300 million worth of newly-valued talent. As the England national team reconvened for their latest camp, manager Gareth Southgate was able to welcome back three players who have only grown in stature since the last get-together in June.
Jude Bellingham left Borussia Dortmund to join Real Madrid in a deal worth up to £115 million, Declan Rice traded West Ham United for Arsenal in a £105 million transfer, while Harry Kane’s 19-year association with Tottenham Hotspur came to an end as he moved to Bayern Munich for £86.4 million.
These three players are already established England stars: Kane captains the national team and is their record goalscorer while Rice has been a regular in midfield since before Euro 2020 and Bellingham already has 24 caps despite being only 20 years old.
Yet there is no doubt that their big-money moves this summer have elevated their status and how that transfers into the national team set-up will be intriguing as England look to seal qualification, and ultimately prepare, for next summer’s European Championship in Germany.
Given the near misses of recent years which have included a semi-final appearance in the 2018 World Cup and making it to the final of Euro 2020, this upcoming tournament is widely viewed as the most important for this generation of players and, ultimately, Southgate’s legacy.
Being able to rely on players who are leading the way at some of Europe’s biggest clubs — and away from the Premier League — could be seen as a key milestone to ending a 58-year wait for a trophy for the senior men’s national side.
Bellingham and Kane’s situations are particularly significant. English players have often been reluctant to leave the comforts of home and so it was a key moment when Kane became the first active England captain in 20 years to move to a foreign league.
The 30-year-old was already viewed as one of the best in his position during his time at Spurs but three goals in three Bundesliga games since signing last month suggests he has quickly taken to German football.
Perhaps any improvement in Kane’s goalscoring ability will be negligible, but being the talismanic No 9 for a club which has won the last 11 Bundesliga titles and regularly reaches the latter stages of the Champions League will surely provide him with a greater sense of the pressure associated with the high demands of a club like Bayern where silverware is deemed a necessity.
Last week, Southgate spoke of Kane’s move as a “fresh challenge” which would be a “positive” for England. Likewise, Bellingham’s move should only assist the national team.
He has not yet played in the top-flight in England, but in moving from Germany to Spain, there will be a dramatic increase in expectation and scrutiny for the talented midfielder to handle.
Bellingham already hailed 'the boss' at Real
The early signs are that Bellingham will not be fazed by inheriting Zinedine Zidane’s No 5 shirt and becoming not only the fulcrum of Real Madrid’s new midfield but also the face of the team.
The 20-year-old is the third player in the club's history to score in each of his first four games — following Pepillo in 1960 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 — and won La Liga’s August Player of the Month award in the process.
Bellingham is already thriving in the Spanish capital and has seemingly taken the move in his stride. It is a testament to the young professional that every step up he has made has been done so with both integrity and grace.
Southgate has already been enamoured by Bellingham and he is one of the first names on the team sheet. Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager, has positioned his new signing effectively as a No 10 in the opening weeks and that has led to the rush of goals.
Southgate prefers a single pivot in a 4-3-3 formation for his England team but having a midfielder confident in front of goal will only be viewed as a positive. Similarly, Rice arrives on a high having clinched a victory for Arsenal over Manchester United with a stoppage-time goal on Sunday.
Rice may have only swapped east London for north London but has experienced a shift in style as Arsenal usually dominate possession and the progressive nature of the midfielder’s passing and running will come under added focus.
That Rice also signed off his time as West Ham captain by winning the Europa Conference League, the club’s first European trophy since 1965, is also another string to his bow and an experience the England international can call upon going forward.
As England look to take another step towards Euro 2024 qualification against Ukraine on Saturday, these summer moves not only represent staging posts in each of the three players’ careers but may also be another piece in Southgate’s England jigsaw.
Kane, Bellingham and Rice are three of Southgate’s most trusted players — that they have each settled quickly and appear to be in business already at their new surroundings will not only ease the England manager’s mind but be reason for him to value them even more.
