England's Elite Finishers: Can Anyone Step Up If Kane Falls?

Harry Kane sits in a league of his own when it comes to putting the ball in the net across Europe's elite divisions. Yet as Thomas Tuchel prepares his England squad for the World Cup in the USA, the pressing question looms: who steps in if the unthinkable happens?

With an expanded squad assembled for the final warm-up fixtures before the tournament squad is named, Tuchel's attacking options have come under the microscope. Kane's berth appears bulletproof, but contingency planning demands identifying credible alternatives capable of shouldering the goalscoring burden.

Using data from Gradient Sports—an analytics outfit that grades every player out of 100 across Europe's top five leagues, measuring both execution and outcome—we've identified the ten highest-rated English finishers currently plying their trade abroad.

Notably absent from the reckoning: Dominic Solanke (blanked against Uruguay) and Phil Foden (blanked against Japan) on recent international duty.

The Finishers' Pecking Order

Joint 10th: Keinan Davis (Udinese) and Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 78.1

Davis's credentials are intriguing but time-sensitive. The Udinese frontman ranks 20th in Serie A for shooting grades, though his pathway to England caps may be complicated by an impending Jamaican passport. Watkins, meanwhile, shows a marginal dip from last season's 81.2 rating. More worrying is his goal tally: 19 in 2023/24 has withered to just nine this campaign, a troubling downward trajectory.

9th: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) – 78.2

Gordon's conversion efficiency proves particularly intriguing in European competition, where he's graded at 78.7 and banging them in at a rate of one every 77 minutes—a far cry from his Premier League output. Newcastle supporters might reasonably wonder what awaits them when he inevitably departs.

8th: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton) – 78.9

David Moyes recently suggested the midfielder "wouldn't be a million miles off" England's player pool, though he acknowledged the World Cup timeline might prove tight. Whether Dewsbury-Hall's future lies with the Three Lions or an Irish call-up remains uncertain.

7th: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 79.1

Saka's predilection for cutting inside onto his left foot is well-documented. Only one English player—Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier—grades higher for left-footed shooting prowess.

6th: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 79.6

Bowen cracks the top ten despite over half his shots being rated below expected value. A fringe figure in Tuchel's thinking, improving that metric could prove decisive for World Cup selection. His league-leading 90.4 grade from last season offers a roadmap to redemption.

5th: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona) – 81.1

The Barcelona winger's transformation is striking. Graded 51st in the Premier League last season, he's now 14th in La Liga—suggesting a change of scenery has reignited his competitive fire.

4th: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) – 82.3

Rogers stands as the Premier League's highest-graded English shooter, ninth overall in the division, and the sole England-qualified player in the top 15. For pressured situations and open-play shooting, he remains the only Three Lions prospect occupying the top tens.

3rd: Mason Greenwood (Marseille) – 83.7

We're moving swiftly past this one.

2nd: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – 84.1

Bellingham's elite shooting grade offers Thomas Tuchel evidence that the Real Madrid midfielder warrants selection, particularly given the manager's apparent scepticism. In La Liga, only Kylian Mbappe and Real Sociedad's Goncalo Guedes outscore him.

1st: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – 99.3

Predictably, Kane stands alone. Not merely England's finest finisher but Europe's most clinical operator—a chasm separates him from the field. Michael Olise sits second on 91.3, with Harry Wilson third on 90.9. Kane's advantage isn't marginal; it's comprehensive.