England's centre-forward options - ranked

There was a time when England possessed an absolute embarrassment of riches in the centre-forward department.

Nowadays, the pool of strikers at their disposal isn't as deep as it once was, but that's not to say there aren't some quality operators vying for a place in the Three Lions squad.

Harry Kane continues to be the focal point up top but there are a number of strikers aiming to usurp the England skipper with Thomas Tuchel at the helm in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup.

Here are the best options for England at centre forward.

9. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Calvert-Lewin continues to be plagued by injury / Matt McNulty/GettyImages

Injuries have long been Calvert-Lewin's biggest barrier to entry in the England team. Frequent knocks and strains have often kept him sidelined for Everton, disrupting his rhythm and hindering his development.

When in full flow, he remains an impressive talent and he was often chosen to deputise for Kane under Gareth Southgate. In many aspects, he was the striker most similar to the former Tottenham forward, especially given his incredible physical presence and aerial ability.

In true Calvert-Lewin fashion, he picked up a hamstring injury just a week after producing a standout performance in a 3-2 victory over Spurs which included a majestic solo goal.

8. Eddie Nketiah

Nketiah has played second fiddle to Jean-Philippe Mateta at Crystal Palace / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages

Nketiah's status as the all-time leading scorer for England's Under-21s doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence. While the likes of Alan Shearer (13) and Frank Lampard (nine) blossomed into seasoned senior internationals, Francis Jeffers and Saido Berahino both broke double digits at youth level.

A traditional penalty-box poacher, Nketiah has clear limitations but hasn't looked entirely out of place when filling in for Arsenal up top.

He's yet to fire at Crystal Palace having finally departed the Gunners last summer, playing second fiddle to cult hero Jean-Philippe Mateta.

7. Tammy Abraham

Abraham was once Kane's strongest challenger / Ciancaphoto Studio/GettyImages

At one moment in time, it looked as if Abraham was going to offer Kane serious competition for his starting spot. The striker scored three goals in 11 caps for England and impressed at Chelsea before a move to Roma where he initially fired under Jose Mourinho.

However, Abraham hasn't featured in an England squad since 2022 having suffered a torn ACL at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. His loan move to Milan for 2024/25 hasn't yet helped him garner more attention from incoming boss Tuchel, whom he worked with in west London.

6. Danny Welbeck

Welbeck is impressing during his twilight / Gareth Copley/GettyImages

It's been seven years since Welbeck last featured for the Three Lions, but the veteran forward is enjoying a renaissance on the south coast and should his impressive form persist at Brighton & Hove Albion, Welbeck may suddenly find himself back in England contention.

The seasoned striker knows his game, and he's evolved impressively from his more youthful iteration. Welbeck remains a persistent channel runner, but he's also proving to be incredibly effective as the focal point of Brighton's attacks.

Fabian Hurzeler waxed lyrical over Welbeck as a role model for younger players at the start of his tenure, and more recently described him as "vital" for what he wants to achieve at the Amex.

5. Liam Delap

Expect Delap to eventually blossom into an England regular / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Delap wasn't in the England conversation at the start of the season with Ipswich Town preparing for their first Premier League outing in two decades. However, the young forward is now regarded as a talent who'll feature in Three Lions squads for years to come.

Following his permanent departure from Manchester City over the summer, Delap swiftly found his feet in Suffolk and has emerged as Ipswich's shining light amid a difficult campaign.

While he's rough around the edges, Delap is a physical behemoth who's unrelenting in his desire to disrupt opposing defences and score goals.

4. Ivan Toney

Toney's Saudi adventure has hindered his England chances / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages

Toney claimed that the FA's betting probe was timed to prevent him from joining Southgate's 2022 World Cup squad. "Someone was out to get me," he insisted.

The Brentford striker was only outscored by Kane and Erling Haaland in the Premier League in 2022/23, but he struggled from an output perspective having returned from his ban midway through 2023/24.

Despite his barren conclusion to the season, Southgate used him effectively at Euro 2024, but a move to Saudi Arabia has hindered his international chances. Tuchel admitted to giving Toney serious consideration for the March internationals, but he just missed out.

3. Dominic Solanke

Tuchel will love Solanke's work-rate out of possession / Vince Mignott/MB Media/GettyImages

To put into context how long ago Solanke's England debut was, he replaced Jamie Vardy. Across the subsequent years, Solanke didn't return to the international stage but he's now back in the Three Lions squad after joining Tottenham last summer.

Solanke produced 19 Premier League goals during his final season at Bournemouth which earned him a £65m move to north London.

It didn't take the imposing forward long to settle st Spurs, with his capacity to bring others into play, poach in the box, and press relentlessly rendering him the perfect fit for Ange Postecoglou - and potentially Tuchel, too.

2. Ollie Watkins

Watkins scored one of the most memorable England goals ever at Euro 2024 / Jean Catuffe/GettyImages

Earlier last year, Watkins fretted: "I think I go under the radar, maybe. I don’t know if I'm not talked about enough, profile-wise."

Watkins recorded 27 goals and 13 assists across all competitions last season, meaning there is certainly no obvious reason that the prolific striker would be overlooked on the international stage.

In fact, having travelled to Euro 2024, he increased his visibility by scoring the goal that sent England to the final, and his pace offers something unique in the final third.

If it wasn't for a certain Bayern Munich striker, Watkins would undoubtedly be leading the line for the Three Lions.

1. Harry Kane

There's a mutual admiration between striker and manager / Alexander Hassenstein/GettyImages

Harry Kane is so far clear of the rest of his competitors.

England's record goalscorer, captain and most prolific finisher, Kane is streets ahead of most other strikers in world football, even if age threatens to catch up with him in the coming years. He'll be 33 by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around.

Still, he's one of the best players in the world and Tuchel adored him during their spell together at Bayern. While the new boss has laid out his plans to play on the front foot and press high, he won't be sacrificing Kane.