England manager Thomas Tuchel has raised clear doubts about Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden’s chances of making the World Cup squad after a tepid international break. Tuchel praised Foden’s attitude in camp but warned the midfielder has not translated that into match influence.

“He tried everything,” Tuchel insisted about Foden’s attitude. “I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch.

“Obviously, he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently. Then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training and I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.”

When asked whether an underperforming player would still be taken to the finals, Tuchel was blunt: “I can, but the question would be if we will. It’s not a guarantee that he will come.”

As Foden approaches his 26th birthday, his best role remains a subject of debate. He was the 2023–24 Premier League Player of the Season and has operated across Manchester City’s forward line — on the right, the left and centrally. This season most of his minutes have come in a central role, a position Tuchel has tried to fit him into with limited success.

Competition for attacking midfield places is intense. Tuchel can also call upon Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White. Arsenal youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman are being mentioned for the future. With a finite number of places, giving Foden a slot would mean leaving another of that group out.

Foden’s international record underlines the concern: his 49 England caps have yielded four goals. Sir Gareth Southgate previously faced similar questions and sought guidance from Pep Guardiola over Foden’s best position. Foden started every England game at Euro 2024 but returned without a goal or an assist, and he claimed he was a victim of his own versatility.

Tuchel’s remarks leave Foden with little time to alter the selection picture.

Elliot Anderson has sought to separate the transfer talk from his immediate objectives, telling reporters that his attention is fixed on the World Cup and his England duties. The player faced questions ahead of England’s warmup with Japan and made clear that speculation about moves to big clubs is secondary to his national-team commitments.

“Obviously, we’ve got the World Cup this summer so all my eyes are on that,” Anderson said. “Playing for England, I’ve got the badge on now so that’s all I’m thinking about at the moment.”

Reports in recent months have linked Anderson with Manchester United, who were thought to have identified him as a priority, while Manchester City are also believed to be in the market. Anderson’s early-March Premier League strike against City was singled out in coverage as evidence of his quality. Bayern have also been named as potential suitors.

Nottingham Forest, the player’s club, stand to benefit from any sale. The club paid a reported $44.8 million for Anderson in July of 2024 and would substantially profit from a transfer. That financial background is likely to give Forest leverage in negotiations and the player appears likely to have options if Forest decide to sell.

The wider market for high-value midfielders is active ahead of the summer. Manchester United were reported to have made sudden progress on a potential approach for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, a midfielder who has also been linked with Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Real Madrid’s apparent hesitance over Rodri, after he talked up the idea of joining Los Blancos, has been identified as a factor that could broaden the market for a dominant midfield signing.

For now, Anderson intends to maintain his focus on England and the World Cup rather than on the speculation surrounding his club future.

Rodri’s recent comments have made a transfer question unavoidable, but Real Madrid appear cautious. “You can’t turn down one of the world’s best clubs,” he bluntly admitted this week . “It doesn’t matter if they arrive at the match in a good or bad moment, Real Madrid is always Real Madrid. The door is not closed.” From the player’s perspective the route is open, yet multiple reports in England and Spain suggest the club are not pressing to answer the invitation.

Spanish sports daily AS say the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner “does not feature in the club’s future plans.” The Times report that interest has “cooled” at the Bernabéu. Sources point to fitness and recruitment profile as the main explanations: Rodri suffered an ACL tear in September 2024 and, while he has returned to sustained action in 2026, concerns linger in Madrid.

The statistical contrast in availability before and after the ACL injury is stark. Days missed through injury rose from 64 to 107, with the percentage of days missed moving from 3.4% to 34%. Games missed climbed from 7 to 21, changing the % games missed from 2.3% to 38%. The midfielder has, however, started nine consecutive Premier League matches and featured in last weekend’s triumphant Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

AS note Rodri is “highly respected” internally and that past friction with Vinicius Junior has been relegated to the past; both players shared an embrace after City and Madrid met in the Champions League. Still, that admiration “doesn’t go far enough” to make him the priority signing over other profiles Madrid covet. The club are reportedly seeking a “centrocampista” who can do more than sit in front of the defence.

Historical caution is also part of the club’s mindset. When Jorge Valdano was sporting director he warned that three in five transfers are failures, a note Madrid appear to take seriously as they attempt to replace Toni Kroos. Names linked in reports include Enzo Fernández, Dominik Szoboszlai, Bruno Guimarães and Angelo Stiller, with differing profiles and age points guiding Madrid’s calculus. Frank Lampard’s comment on Fernández is recalled: “He is the most natural six out of a midfield which doesn’t have so many natural sixes.”