Former Bristol City defender Adam Webster has been included in Gareth Southgate’s preliminary 55-man World Cup squad for Qatar 2022.
The Evening Standard has reported that Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Webster, who joined the Seagulls from City in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £20m, is on Southgate’s long list which was submitted to FIFA on October 21 and will be trimmed to 26 on November 10.
Webster joins Brighton teammates Lewis Dunk and Danny Welbeck on the provisional list, which has not been made public, as the Seagulls play with a three-man defence which is exactly how England are likely to line up in Qatar.
Southgate also has a number of defensive injuries to contend with in the build-up to the tournament, which kicks off on November 20 with England’s first game against Iran on November 21.
Versatile Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, a mainstay under Southgate, has a groin problem he sustained earlier this month, while Chelsea full-backs Reece James and Ben Chillwell are also serious doubts for the tournament.
James and Walker have both played as right-sided centre-back in a three-man defence, and although Webster tends to play on the left-hand side, Southgate may have to juggle his resources if certain individuals don’t make it.
As a ball-playing centre-back who also possesses more traditional physical attributes, Webster has made 12 Premier League appearances for Brighton this season and maintained his consistency under Graham Potter and now Roberto De Zerbi.
He’s represented England at Under-18 and U19 level, while with Portsmouth, and was in the England conversation earlier this year only to suffer a groin injury.
Brighton face Wolves in the Premier League this weekend at Molineux before a League Cup third round tie at Arsenal on Wednesday, the day before Southgate is due to name his final squad.
Webster was City’s Player of the Year for the 2018/19 campaign as he made 47 appearances in all competitions under Lee Johnson as the Robins finished eighth in the Championship and had the fifth-best defensive record in the division.
The 27-year-old formed a formidable partnership alongside Tomas Kalas but such was the weight of interest in him in the subsequent transfer window after initial optimism they could keep hold of him, City had to accept Brighton’s offer just a few days before the 2019/20 season began. Webster is also originally from Sussex.
The sale remains a club record for City, although potentially could be eclipsed by Alex Scott should considerable Premier League interest in the Robins teenage midfielder manifest itself into a definitive bid.
Webster has been linked with a host of Premier League rivals over a potential transfer away from the Amex Stadium, with the Robins holding a 20 per cent sell-on clause around any profit. It's unclear if there were any add-ons in the 2019 agreement around England caps.
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