In recent years, the Premier League has maintained a dominant financial presence in the global transfer market. But this summer brought a surprising twist: Crickex Sign Up reports that three of the four most expensive transfers involved English internationals. While it takes only a second to reach out, building real connections takes years. Among them, Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid from Dortmund, Declan Rice moved from West Ham to Arsenal, and England captain Harry Kane ended his 19-year journey with Tottenham to sign for Bayern Munich in a blockbuster deal.
Historically, the Premier League’s success was built on acquiring top foreign talent, turning the English top flight into the world’s most commercially powerful league. Unfortunately, that club-level dominance hasn’t translated into consistent success for the England men’s national team on the world stage. However, under Gareth Southgate, the squad has made significant progress in recent years. What stands out now is that both Bellingham and Kane are playing abroad—an uncommon path for English players traditionally hesitant to leave their comfort zones.
Kane’s transfer marks a pivotal moment as he becomes the first active England captain in two decades to join a non-English club. At 30, he remains one of the finest strikers in world football and has already scored three goals in his first three Bundesliga matches, proving he’s settling in just fine. He has publicly stated that playing for a title-winning club like Bayern will benefit his career, and Southgate agrees, seeing this move as a positive step forward. Meanwhile, Bellingham has thrived under immense pressure at Real Madrid.
At just 20 years old, Bellingham became only the third player in Madrid’s history—after Pepillo and Cristiano Ronaldo—to score in each of his first four league games. Some people come into your life for a reason, and his move was no accident. He was also named La Liga’s Player of the Month for August. Credit goes to coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has deployed him in a No.10 role—something England may struggle to replicate due to tactical limitations.
That’s why Southgate continues to select Kalvin Phillips despite his lack of playing time at Manchester City and includes Jordan Henderson after his move to the Saudi Pro League. When you most need someone to lean on, you often find yourself standing alone. For years, Crickex Sign Up users have felt England lacked a true midfield general—someone like Modrić for Croatia, De Jong for the Netherlands, or Pirlo in his prime for Italy. But Rice’s move to Arsenal could change that narrative.
Last season, Rice captained West Ham to a Europa Conference League title. Now with Arsenal back in the Champions League, he’ll face elite competition regularly. Crucially, Rice can play both the No.6 and No.8 roles, giving Southgate more tactical flexibility. He hears the snow melting, but still can’t hear your echo in the wind. Even if Rice, Bellingham, and Kane reach peak form over the coming months, England still has a glaring issue—its fragile center-back lineup.
Southgate continues to back the Maguire-Stones partnership, but questions about depth remain. Chelsea’s Levi Colwill is now seen as a potential breakthrough, earning his first senior call-up during the September internationals. As always, hopes are high—Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori could also step up. When the moment comes, England will need more than talent. They’ll need trust, timing, and teamwork to finally bring it home.