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Thomas Tuchel has stated that England will be unable to find a true replacement for top scorer Harry Kane once the Bayern Munich forward eventually hangs up his international boots.
The 33-year-old netted his 87th international goal during England's recent 2–0 win against Czechia, having already contributed eight goals across nine appearances for club and country this campaign. Last season, he delivered a remarkable 61 goals for Bayern, putting him firmly in the running for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
While Bayern will have the financial means to bring in a successor when the time arrives, England enjoys no such option. The burden will fall on the next wave of center forwards to step up, and Tuchel believes finding a worthy replacement will be a lengthy process.
"You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all," Tuchel said following the Czechia victory. "We look for different options and solutions. We finished the game with Jude [Bellingham] up front as a No. 9. There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry.
"We will find a solution when it comes to it, but maybe not me. It might be another 10 years!"
There are legitimate concerns among England supporters about who will eventually take Kane's place. While he's still expected to lead the attack for several more years at minimum, a succession plan needs to be established.
Unfortunately for the Three Lions, there is currently a shortage of promising young talent in the No. 9 role. For instance, there are presently only two English strikers aged 25 or under with an estimated Transfermarkt value exceeding £15 million ($19.8 million).
However, the situation isn't entirely bleak. There are several candidates capable of stepping into Kane's shoes when the moment arrives—and, fortunately, they have ample time before that call comes.
So, who might succeed England's captain in the years ahead?
Jude Bellingham
As Tuchel noted after the Czechia win, Bellingham was deployed as an improvised No. 9 during the final 20 minutes of the match. While it's far from the Real Madrid star's natural position, he has been used there before.
During his debut campaign in Spain, the 22-year-old was regularly selected as a center forward due to a shortage of alternatives for Carlo Ancelotti, and he delivered with an impressive goal return. Operating as a false nine, Bellingham found the net 11 times in his opening 12 Real Madrid appearances across all competitions.
Given the abundance of quality attacking midfielders already at England's disposal—Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden and others—converting Bellingham could not only help compensate for Kane's output, but also open up space for another creative talent in the No. 10 role.
Bellingham's strength, physicality, technical ability and powerful forward runs suggest he could develop into an excellent striker—though he would undoubtedly need time to grow into the position over the coming seasons.
Anthony Gordon
If England opts to repurpose an established star rather than uncover a new No. 9, then Anthony Gordon is another name worth considering for a future central role.
Eddie Howe experimented with the winger as a center forward during his final season at Newcastle United, and while Gordon's play in that position understandably lacked the consistency of more natural strikers, he still contributed nine goals across 18 appearances in the 2025–26 campaign.
There would be significant areas requiring development, particularly in aerial duels and hold-up play, but Gordon clearly has the pace and goal-scoring instinct needed to pose a threat in the attacking third.
If Hansi Flick could mold the now-Barcelona forward in the same way he transformed winger-turned-striker Raphinha, England would have plenty to be thankful for.
Liam Delap
The fact that Liam Delap features among the frontrunners to succeed Kane highlights just how serious England's center forward problem truly is.
Delap endured a difficult debut season at Chelsea in 2025–26, managing just three goals across all competitions, causing his reputation to take a hit after a previously promising spell with Ipswich Town.
However, if he can rediscover his best form at new club Nottingham Forest, he could yet emerge as a credible option for England over the next decade.
After all, Delap is only 23 years old and already possesses exceptional upper-body strength, aerial ability and surprising pace. With further refinement and added technical polish, he has the potential to become a genuinely formidable presence.
Brian Madjo
One of England's brightest prospects for the future is 17-year-old powerhouse Brian Madjo.
After making three appearances for Luxembourg, Madjo chose to represent England in August 2025 and has since featured nine times for the Under-17s—netting four goals during those outings.
The teenager, who possesses extraordinary strength and physicality for his age, joined Aston Villa last January and was finally cleared to play at the beginning of the season after complications surrounding FIFA regulations. On his debut, he scored against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
The youngster has been sidelined with injury since then, but is expected to enjoy a breakout campaign following Ollie Watkins' departure, aided by Villa's heavy schedule after returning to the Champions League—even if he must compete with Nicolas Jackson and Tammy Abraham for playing time.
The ceiling is incredibly high for this immensely gifted youngster. Both Villa and England fans are eager to see him fulfill his enormous potential.
Will Lankshear
Tottenham Hotspur's academy produced England's greatest-ever goalscorer. Perhaps it can also deliver his long-term successor.
Will Lankshear is no longer a Spurs player after his summer move to Middlesbrough, but he has put in some highly impressive displays in the English Championship.
Eleven goals with Oxford United last season was a promising return, and he has already struck six times in just eight appearances this term as a Middlesbrough player. The 21-year-old's tally is currently surpassed only by Cyle Larin in the second division.
There is naturally a long journey between Lankshear and a full England call-up, but few question his potential. At this moment, he is undeniably one of the country's most exciting young center forwards.