Why half of England’s World Cup defenders are on the moveImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Will Djed Spence (left) and Ezri Konsa (middle) be the next England players to be involved in transfers this summer?ByMichael EmonsBBC Sport journalistPublished1 hour agoEngland came third in this summer’s World Cup – their best performance in a men’s competition in 60 years – and now their players are in demand in the transfer market.Of the 27 players that went out to North America – 26 in the original squad and Trevoh Chalobah, who replaced the injured Tino Livramento – seven have moved clubs this summer, with another two linked with transfers.Morgan Rogers went from Aston Villa to Chelsea in a £117m deal, midfielder Elliot Anderson moved for £116m from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City and winger Anthony Gordon cost Barcelona almost £70m when transferring from Newcastle.
Midfielder Jordan Henderson made the short trip across west London on a free transfer to Chelsea after his Brentford contract was mutually terminated and back-up goalkeeper James Trafford signed for Leeds in a £45m move from Manchester City.
But what might be more surprising is how in-demand England’s defenders have become – and the low prices they are moving for.
With Djed Spence on the verge of going to Inter Milan, where he could join Three Lions team-mate John Stones, Trevoh Chalobah having moved to Como and Ezri Konsa being targeted by Arsenal, four of England’s World Cup defenders will be potentially moving clubs this summer.
But if you go back a bit further, Marc Guehi left Crystal Palace for Manchester City in January and Jarell Quansah moved from Liverpool to Bayer Leverkusen in July 2025 – meaning six of the nine England defenders on World Cup duty could have switched teams in just over a year.
We look at the defenders on the move this summer and explain why they are moving; the push and pull factors involved and what the moves will offer both the player and the clubs involved.
