← Back to News
Why England players wanting a transfer face a logistical NIGHTMARE
Players
S
Sky Sports·about 2 months ago

Why England players wanting a transfer face a logistical NIGHTMARE

Thomas Tuchel says he does have some concerns that transfer speculation could become a distraction for some members of his squad during this World Cup, but he also says it is unavoidable.

The England manager says if he put a transfer ban on his players, they would get around it anyway by having conversations on their phone with agents and buying clubs in the privacy of their bedroom.

As a result, Tuchel is determined to take a "common sense" approach to his rules for England players who want to undergo a medical before switching clubs whilst the tournament is under way.

That will please those players whose futures are uncertain - think Elliot Anderson, Marcus Rashford, John Stones , and maybe even Morgan Rogers .

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

But the reality is - even with Tuchel's preparedness to be flexible - there is very little time in the squad's schedule to allow that to happen. Let's break that down in some more detail.

Tuchel says he wouldn't be happy with any player who wants to leave the squad temporarily to have medical tests and negotiate a deal between 'Matchday Minus Two' (two days before a World Cup game) and the matchday itself.

But in reality, no player could undergo a strenuous transfer medical on 'Matchday Plus One' (the day after a game) if they'd played a substantive number of minutes in the gruelling North America heat.

And if, for example, one of the Manchester clubs were paying over £100m for Anderson, potentially breaking the record British transfer fee of £105m that Arsenal paid for Declan Rice, there is no way they would part with that sort of cash without a thorough physical check, medical tests, X-rays and more.

If the transferring player hadn't played many minutes that may be more practical to do a medical on the day after a game.

But the truth is that Stones, Anderson, Rashford and Rogers are central players for Tuchel, and there is categorically no way the England boss would consider resting them during a game, simply so that they were fresher to take a medical the next day.

Tuchel has also pointed out how draining all of the travel will be for the squad at this World Cup, with flights to Dallas, Boston and New Jersey to come for the group games. He wants his players to make sure they have maximum time for rest and recovery.

If you look at the England's schedule closely, you can see how tight the timescale is. The dates used below assume England finish top of Group L.

Once England fly to their World Cup base in Kansas City on June 13, there are only three clear days until their opening Group L game against Croatia on June 17 - so realistically, there is no possibility under Tuchel's policy for a transfer to be completed then.

If we accept that no medical could happen on June 18 as a player recovers from the previous day's match, there are two days available after that before Tuchel's cut-off kicks in again, which is on 'Matchday Minus Two' ahead of the Ghana game on June 23.

Applying the same rules, there is no time between the Ghana and Panama matches for a player to undergo a medical at all.

Once England get into the World Cup knockout stages, which they hope to do, the gaps between matches are just as tight.

There are only three days between the third Group game and a probable last-32 match on July 1, four clear days before the last-16, and another four-day gap until the quarter-final.

There are only three clear days between that and a semi-final, and the same before a possible World Cup final in New York.

So, overall, the only practical time in the entire World Cup schedule where an England player could undergo a medical, meet with their agent and buying club, undergo scans, agree terms and sign a contract, whilst fitting in with Tuchel's policy - are in a narrow, two-day window.

Those days are June 19 or 20, or on the final day before the squad leaves the preparation camp in Florida to fly to Kansas City - which is June 12.

So it's not impossible - and in fact, Tuchel has made it easier for players to make a club move than his predecessor, Gareth Southgate, who had applied a strict ban during any major tournament.

But even so, it certainly presents a logistical nightmare for any buying club to get a deal done until after England's World Cup is over.

Sign up for Sky Sports push notifications Upgrade to Sky Sports to watch every minute of end of season X Facebook TikTok Instagram YouTube WhatsApp Partners Sky Bet Super 6 TEAMtalk.com Football365.com Sky Sports Channels Sky Sports Main Event Sky Sports Premier League Sky Sports Football Sky Sports Cricket Sky Sports Golf Sky Sports F1 Sky Sports Tennis Sky Sports Action Sky Sports News Sky Sports+ Sky Sports Racing Sky Sports Mix More Sky Sites Sky.com Sky News Sky Go Sky Group Sky For Businesses Sky Partnerships Sky Impact Store Locator Advertise With Us Terms & Conditions Privacy & Cookies Notice Privacy Options Accessibility Information Contact Us © 2026 Sky UK

Sources: Sky Sports

Teams & Groups in this article

Get WC 2026 Updates

Match previews, results, and standings — delivered to your inbox.

Related Articles

Everyone needs to feel loved playing for England - Bellingham
Players

Everyone needs to feel loved playing for England - Bellingham

Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Jude Bellingham scored once for England at Euro 2024

B
BBC Sport·about 1 month ago
Players organise England team-bonding dinner in Miami
Players

Players organise England team-bonding dinner in Miami

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England face Croatia in their opening World Cup match on 17 June

B
BBC Sport·about 1 month ago
‘They are adults’: Tuchel grants England players day off with few strings attached
Players

‘They are adults’: Tuchel grants England players day off with few strings attached

Manager says team must ‘live up to the trust’ on rest days German suggests Bellingham may play as a ‘free role’ No 9 Thomas Tuchel is confident that his England players will not abuse his trust, as he granted them time off with few strings attached a

T
The Guardian·about 1 month ago
England World Cup 2026 team guide
Players

England World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up t

T
The Guardian·about 1 month ago
World Cup 2026: countdown to opener, Tuchel savours England win, Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ – live
Players

World Cup 2026: countdown to opener, Tuchel savours England win, Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ – live

⚽️ Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ in response to Fifa’s critics ⚽️ Match centre | Player guide | Bracketology | Mail Tom Wolves have their sights on the Gil Vicente manager, César Peixoto, after sacking Rob Edwards. Here’s the story: There were more

T
The Guardian·about 1 month ago
Bellingham at number 10? Will Saka start? It's decision time for Tuchel
Players

Bellingham at number 10? Will Saka start? It's decision time for Tuchel

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Thomas Tuchel's England have won both of their World Cup warm-up games, against New Zealand and Costa Rica

B
BBC Sport·about 1 month ago