Watkins and Serie A Star Shine as Kane’s Top Backup Options
Thomas Tuchel has assembled a large squad for the final friendlies before naming England’s World Cup party. Harry Kane’s place appears secure. Still, managers must plan for emergencies and find reliable alternatives.
Gradient Sports produced shooting grades out of 100. The system rates execution and outcome across Europe’s top five leagues. Filmogaz.com presents the ten England-eligible attackers with the highest shooting grades.
Top 10 English shooting grades
| Rank | Player | Club | Grade | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Keinan Davis | Udinese | 78.1 | 20th in Serie A for shooting. |
| 10 | Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 78.1 | Goals have fallen from previous seasons. |
| 9 | Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United | 78.2 | 78.7 grade in Champions League. Goal every 77 minutes in Europe. |
| 8 | Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | Everton | 78.9 | David Moyes sees him close to international level. |
| 7 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 79.1 | Top among English left-footed shooters, behind Tavernier. |
| 6 | Jarrod Bowen | West Ham | 79.6 | Over half of his shots are rated below expectation. |
| 5 | Marcus Rashford | Barcelona | 81.1 | Improved La Liga grade after lower Premier League ranking. |
| 4 | Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | 82.3 | Highest-graded England-eligible player in the Premier League. |
| 3 | Mason Greenwood | Marseille | 83.7 | Strong shooting grade in Ligue 1. |
| 2 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | 84.1 | In La Liga, only Mbappé and Gonçalo Guedes graded higher. |
| 1 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | 99.3 | Clear top shooter in Europe. Top scorer of 2026 so far. |
Context and takeaways
The Gradient model rates players on many metrics. It combines execution and outcome. That produces a single shooting grade out of 100.
Kane dominates the list by a large margin. The next highest shooting grades are Michael Olise at 91.3 and Harry Wilson at 90.9. That gap highlights Kane’s elite finishing.
Players to watch
Names such as Watkins appear on the list. His club form shows a decline in raw goal totals over recent seasons.
Gordon’s European record stands out. His Champions League grade and scoring rate in Europe contrast sharply with his domestic minutes per goal.
Bellingham and Rashford show growth in Spain. Bellingham’s La Liga grade places him among elite attackers.
Serie A and fringe options
Keinan Davis is the Serie A representative among these English attackers. His grade and club form make him a curious option. The phrase Serie A Star Shine as Kane’s Top Backup Options has appeared in wider discussion about possible backups.
Gradient’s list also flags younger and less established names. Morgan Rogers leads English-eligible players for pressured and open-play shooting metrics.
What it means for Tuchel
Tuchel must balance form, fitness, and international experience. Kane remains the undisputed first choice. The shooting grades provide a data-led view of potential deputies.
Filmogaz.com will continue to track these metrics. The analysis gives context ahead of squad selection for the World Cup in the USA.
