It was not for the want of trying.
When Jamal Musiala joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019 and, 19 months later, committed to representing Germany, there were suggestions that both Chelsea and England had let him slip through the cracks
That was nonsense, of course, because the Premier League club had offered him a contract and Gareth Southgate outlined his plans for a midfielder who is quickly becoming one of the world’s best young players.
