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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has used a bizarre "war" analogy to describe in-form star Kai Havertz following his new-found form in red.

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Havertz scores vs Brentford and RC LensConfidence boost for the GermanArteta uses bizarre analogy to describe the playerWHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal boss claimed the German international will go to "war" when asked to, despite being a very humble character amongst the squad, following his two goals in as many games for The Gunners over the past week.

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Speaking on the upturn in form for Havertz, Arteta continued to praise the player ahead of the upcoming clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers. “First of all support him, like with any other player, and give him the tools and the time to show his qualities,” Arteta said in Friday's press conference.

“I think that’s what he’s doing. Everything is starting to come together. A lot of the things he was doing right, he’s continued to do and now obviously in front of goal, he’s being very efficient. He’s not someone that wants to be there in the frontline or at least he doesn’t show it in that way, but then if you ask him to go to war, he will be the first one down there, but he doesn’t want to take that credit and I think he deserved that credit on the day."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 24-year-old has struggled to find his finest form since arriving at the Emirates Stadium in a eye-watering £65 million move from London rivals Chelsea this summer, with just one goal to his name in red prior to the fixtures against RC Lens and Brentford.

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WHAT NEXT FOR HAVERTZ?

As mentioned, Havertz and his Arsenal teammates are now preparing to host Wolves this weekend, as they look to build on the two impressive victories against Brentford and Lens in the last week. Arteta's side currently sit at the top of the Premier League heading into this weekends fixtures, with Manchester City following closely in second, just one point behind the leaders.

Fulham are now targeting Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer and Mauricio Pochettino's side are open to selling him, according to reports.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

In the past week, Whites transfer rumours have been seriously hotting up, both in terms of potential departures and signings for Marco Silva.

Fulham enjoyed a successful first full campaign back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship, comfortably avoiding relegation and finished mid-table.

While they couldn't quite do enough to seal European football for next season, the foundations to build are there, and it is believed the west Londoners are looking at strengthening a variety of positions.

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, Japan international Ao Tanaka, Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, Fenerbache defender Ferdi Kadioglu and Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez have all been linked in the past 10 days.

Meanwhile, it is believed top flight rivals are eyeing moves for star Fulham players Joao Palhinha and Antonee Robinson, with Leicester City also apparently looking to steal away club captain Tom Cairney.

If these rumours come to fruition, it could well be a busy summer at Craven Cottage, with news emerging of another target on their radar.

Hudson-Odoi, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is apparently being targeted by Fulham.

That is according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Jacob Steinberg, who claims Fulham, Milan and Nottingham Forest have registered interest in the £120,000-per-week forward.

Chelsea are prepared to sell Hudson-Odoi, and could do so for just £15 million, with the winger looking likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

He's out of contract next year, and with just 12 months remaining on his current deal, Fulham could offer him the chance to remain in west London.

Hudson-Odoi has offers from the Middle East, though it is thought his preference is to remain in Europe at this stage.

What's been said about Hudson-Odoi?

Frank Lampard once tipped the 22-year-old for stardom at Chelsea, calling him an "incredible" player back in 2019 whilst claiming he could be "huge" for the Blues.

Fast forward to now, and that hasn't quite worked out, but Lampard isn't the only person to have seriously endorsed the winger.

FourFourTwo writer Mark White, taking to Twitter just last year, called Hudson-Odoi a "special" player and drew particular attention to his "unbelievable vision" and "sheer mentality".

Given he is available for just £15m, and Fulham are in need of forward depth, he could be a prudent option.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on moving for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi this summer as Ange Postecoglou gets his transfer business underway in N17, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Marc Guehi?

According to FootballTransfers, Tottenham are keen on Guehi this summer as they look to bring a defender into the building ahead of the new campaign.

Speaking to the outlet, journalist Steve Kay added: "Spurs are interested in signing Marc Guehi in the summer. Palace want £65m. Spurs apparently won't pay that – they're looking at paying around £45m. Tottenham have been looking for a young, versatile defender for quite a while now, and they have recently inquired about Aymeric Laporte and Pau Torres."

Aside from Tottenham, Liverpool are keen on the £50k-a-week ace alongside Arsenal and Manchester United, according to The Daily Mail, which is a testament to his performances across the season.

As per Football Insider, pundit Gabby Agbonlahor tipped Spurs to make several defensive reinforcements this off-season and has tipped Guehi to move to N17, saying in an interview with the publication: “I think Spurs need three centre-backs. Guehi can be one of them, but I’d go out and get more. Lenglet and Ben Davies are not good enough either. You’ve got to have multiple top centre-backs if you want to go and win trophies. Look at Arsenal after they lost Saliba – it’s cost them the title.”

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has indicated that Spurs are indeed looking to pursue Guehi this window.

Jones stated when assessing potential defensive additions: "In the centre of defence Harry Maguire has been linked and that interest is genuine. One of the other Premier League options we should expect them to thoroughly look into is another England international in Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace.

"He is also admired by Arsenal but Spurs believe they could have the edge on them in terms of being able to offer regular first-team football, which is going to be vital in a season that leads into the European Championship – as he will aim to be part of the Three Lions squad. Max Kilman of Wolves is another option they have looked at while scouts have had pretty heavy focus on Serie A too."

Would Marc Guehi be a good signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

Guehi, who has been hailed as an "absolute tank", enjoyed a positive campaign for Crystal Palace and made great strides as he continues to develop into a distinguished Premier League central defender.

Over the course, the England international made 40 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace, registering one goal, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored takes into account that Guehi managed to stay switched on during dangerous attacking phases and completed around 3.6 clearances per game in the English top flight.

As per FBRef, Guehi made 97 tackles and interceptions combined across the term, demonstrating his ability to win back possession with regularity.

With strong winds of change set to engulf Tottenham's playing squad over the next few months, Guehi joining the fold would be an intelligent piece of business by Lilywhites' boss Postecoglou.

Jason Roy is set to play only white-ball cricket until the end of the ICC Champions Trophy

George Dobell in St Kitts26-Feb-2017

Jason Roy is set to play only white-ball cricket until the end of the ICC Champions Trophy.Roy, England’s limited-overs opener, retains ambitions to play Test cricket. But, with the Champions Trophy identified as one of England’s prime goals for the summer, he is likely to be encouraged to concentrate on his white-ball skills until the end of the tournament in June. That means his next first-class match could come in the round of pink-ball games scheduled to be played under lights at the end of June.While Roy will be required to return from the IPL to play in the two ODIs against Ireland at the start of May, he is expected to be allowed to return to India for another couple of matches as soon as his England duty is over. He will then join the rest of the ODI squad in a training camp in Spain.He looked in fine form during the opening match of England’s Caribbean tour. Murderous against the short ball, he also drove well and improvised effectively against the spinners on his way to 79 from 43 deliveries. And while he did not field due to a bruised hand caused by a succession of tough fielding sessions, he is confident of being fit for Monday’s final warm-up match ahead of the ODI series.”It’s definitely difficult getting into different mind-sets,” Roy said. “It’s not really a technical thing; it’s more a mind-set thing. Especially going from red ball to white ball. T20 and 50-over cricket can be quite similar. So just playing white-ball cricket would be beneficial coming into the Champions Trophy.”Playing Test cricket is in my head. I want to play. I’ve told the coaches that it’s at the forefront of my mind that I want to be playing Test cricket. It’s on my radar. I just need to score some runs. Hopefully, I’ll get a good volume of white-ball runs and maybe that can push my case later in the year.”Roy hopes to resume his opening partnership with Alex Hales in the coming days. Hales is likely to join the tour party in Antigua after recovering from a hand injury and, while there is still some doubt as to whether he will be fit to play in the ODIs, Roy feels his partner’s record warrants a speedy return.”Hales will probably come straight back in, I would have thought,” Roy said. “He deserves that spot. So yes, I’d expect to open with him.”But competition for places is high. There is a big opportunity for Sam Billings. He is the real deal as well.”Life is pretty good for Roy at present. Enjoying every moment of his first visit to the Caribbean – “I wake up with a smile on my face every morning here,” he says – he is also looking forward to his first experience of the IPL and his first global ODI tournament.”I can’t wait for the Champions Trophy,” he said. “It’s a first Champions Trophy and first major 50-over competition for me so I’m hugely excited. We’ve such a good team spirit going, so it’s really exciting. To win the Champions Trophy would be a hell of an achievement for our group considering where we were a couple of years ago with the World Cup.”It’ll be my first time going to the IPL, as well. It’s a huge competition.”I woke myself up at 4am on the day of the auction and had at look at my phone. It said ‘Jason Roy: unsold’. I threw my phone on to the floor and was like, ‘I’m just useless’. Anyway, I was lucky enough to get picked up in the second round.”It’s not just about the money. Obviously that’s nice, but it’s about getting used to playing in front of massive crowds and, being an overseas player, the pressure is on to do well. I’ll get to play with and learn from different players. Being in the PSL with Brendon McCullum for a couple of weeks taught me a lot about cricket. These things all provide the foundation blocks for a big tournament.”Billings is also expected to return to the IPL after the Ireland games, but faces a fight to force his way into the Champions Trophy squad. He knows, though, that he can’t think about trying to retain his place if he is to bat with the freedom required in modern limited-overs cricket.”You can’t afford to think about repercussions,” Billings said. “If you’re thinking about keeping your place, you’re not concentrating on the ball coming down at you.”When I play at my best, I’m just expressing myself and taking the attack to the bowlers. I just try to keep as clear mind as possible and just go out and whack it, really.”George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. He will be covering England’s tour of the Caribbean in association with Smile Group Travel, specialists in hosted supporters’ packages.

The former Fulham striker netted a stunning hat-trick to move his new side to the top of the table heading into the international break

Matches between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are always special encounters. 'The Saudi Clasico' is the most historic game on the Pro League calendar, as the competition's two most successful clubs face off in front of bumper crowds. But if there were any worries that the influx of foreign stars would blunt the rivalry at all, then there need not have been.

Friday's 4-3 win for Al-Hilal proved to be the Pro League game of the season so far, as the visitors came from 3-1 down at half-time to end their hosts 100 percent start to the campaign and claim top spot for themselves heading into the international break.

That they were able to move to the summit was, in part, also down to Al-Ahli losing their own perfect record in some style, as the newly-promoted outfit were thrashed 5-1 at Al-Fath, while Cristiano Ronaldo and co. at Al-Nassr continue to close the gap after their poor start to the season, and are now just four points off the top following a third successive league victory.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

• WINNER: Aleksandar Mitrovic

  Though the majority of fans at King Abdullah Sport City on Friday were there to see Al-Ittihad's star No.9, Karim Benzema, in action, is the was the striker on the opposition who stole the show, as Aleksandar Mitrovic truly announced himself in the Pro League with a superb hat-trick for Al-Hilal.

  Having netted a stunning first-half equaliser with a brilliant volley, Mitrovic netted twice more after the break to haul Al-Hilal back into the contest, taking his tally to four goals from his opening three games.

  If this is what the Serbia international is doing now, just imagine what he will be capable of once Neymar is fit and creating the opportunities for Mitrovic. The new league leaders have a genuine Golden Boot contender on their hands.

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• LOSER: Karim Benzema

  When Benzema limped off against Al-Wehda on matchday four, there were many who presumed the ex-Real Madrid man would miss Friday's Clasico, and so there was understandable relief when his named appeared on the teamsheet for Al-Ittihad's clash with Al-Hilal.

  And that relief turned to joy midway through the first half, as Benzema scored a superb backheel goal to give his side a 2-1 lead as they looked to make it five wins from five to start the campaign.

  From there, though, things went awry. While Mitrovic was scoring pretty much every chance that came his way at the other end, both Benzema and strike partner Abderrazak Hamdallah missed a number of opportunities that could have changed the course of the result.

• WINNER: Yassine Bounou

  While Mitrovic deservedly took the headlines after Al-Hilal's thrilling victory, the team were just as much indebted to their new goalkeeper, as Yassine Bounou wasted little time in staking a claim to be the best shot-stopper in the division.

  Having arrived from Sevilla, the Morocco international made a number of saves during the Clasico, though he saved his best for last in Jeddah, rushing off his line to save with his chest to preserve all three points.

  In a league where most of the big-name signings have been attackers, Al-Hilal may have pulled off a real coup by bringing in a top-quality 'keeper for just €21 million (£18m/$22.7m).

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  LOSER: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

  For all the Al-Hilal celebrations, concerns remain over the form of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who many expected to dominate the Pro League after the starring role he played for Lazio as they finished runners-up in last season's Serie A.

  Instead, the Serbia international has already been sent off once, and against Al-Ittihad he made what could have proved to be a costly error, with his poor pass leading to the home side's third goal that could have put the game out of sight if not for Mitrovic's heroics.

  Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves were meant to form the most formidable midfield in the Pro League after being paired together by Jorge Jesus, but right now the former is letting the side down.

Match facts

October 12, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)South Africa have an opportunity to inflict the first whitewash of Australia in a five-match series•AFP

Big Picture

South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to their summer. After having achieved their initial objective – a series win – they are in a position to inflict a whitewash against the top-ranked ODI side.The margins of victory reflect how South Africa have been dominant in every aspect. Two of the wins have come with more than 10 overs to spare, another by more than 140 runs. In the only match Australia threatened to come close, in Kingsmead, a freak performance by an out-of-form David Miller sealed the series.Miller apart, South Africa have been helped with contributions from Rilee Rossouw, Andile Phehlukwayo and Kyle Abbott, all of whom were considered fringe players coming into the series. That has meant South Africa are spoilt for choice, something Australia will covet.That Australian haven’t bowled South Africa out even once in the series reiterates the inexperience in their attack. But that doesn’t mean there are no other headaches. Australia have crossed 300 just once and have been bowled out for under 220 twice. Their over-reliance on big names hasn’t helped their cause. But they have the added motivation of trying to avoid being blanked.That they will have to do that at one of South Africa’s favourite grounds, in front of a sell-out crowd, will be a challenge. Newlands had earlier raised concerns about the match being scheduled on the same day as a religious holiday, , but it seems the enthusiasm is hardly affected by that.

Form guide

South Africa: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: LLLLW

In the spotlight

With seven wickets in four matches, Andile Phehlukwayo has underlined the difference between both sides so far. Phehlukwayo is not part of the national squad in any other formats yet, but his ability to change pace and his maturity in accepting the responsibility of bowling at the death could change that. He has proved himself handy with the bat too, and can further boost his claim to be an allrounder.Steven Smith and David Warner are the only two Australians to have scored a hundred so far. Smith, the captain, doesn’t seem to bring as much out of his men as Warner did when he led them to an ODI series win in Sri Lanka. Before the series, Smith said he hoped to continue riding the wave Warner had created, but now may be left wondering if his one-day leadership credentials could be measured against Warner’s.

Team news

South Africa are looking at bringing back their big bowling guns in search of a clean sweep. That means Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada may force one of Kyle Abbott or Phehlukwayo out of the XI. They may continue with two spinners, with Imran Tahir likely to be brought back in place of Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wrist spinner. With the Tests looming, there’s merit in giving Shamsi a breather and allowing him to fully recover from a quad niggle. Others walking wounded include Rossouw, who hurt his finger, and Farhaan Behardien, who tweaked a hamstring. Both passed fitness Tests, but Temba Bavuma has been at training as cover, while Miller has made sufficient progress from his groin strain.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien/David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 and 9 Andile Phehlukwayo/Kyle Abbott/Dale Steyn/Kagiso Rabada, 10 Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran TahirHaving tried all their bowling combinations in vain, Australia could make their young attack draw straws to decide which of Chris Tremain, Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie or Scott Boland has to play the final ODI. Usman Khawaja has not been used at all and may be brought in to add depth to the batting.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch/Usman Khawaja, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Travis Head, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 and 11 Chris Tremain/Scott Boland/Daniel Worrall/Joe Mennie

Pitch and conditions

A cold front early in the week brought rain to Cape Town on Tuesday, but Newlands has a new drainage system which should keep the outfield dry should the rain stay away. Groundsman Evan Flint does not predict a run-fest, instead aiming for a surface that will offer the bowlers something as well. The weather is expected to be mild with temperatures in the teens, with a light breeze.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have never lost all of the matches in a five-game ODI series. The last time they lost all the matches played in an ODI series was in 2006-07 when they were beaten 3-0 by New Zealand. The only other time they were blanked 3-0 was by England, in 1997
• South Africa have beaten Australia 4-1 before, in a series in Australia in 2009

Quotes

“If you play against Australia, every little mental thing you can get on your side does play a role. It’s important for everyone to be in good touch. The one-percenters play a big role.”

Australia’s captain Steven Smith ranked a surprise hiding at the hands of Sri Lanka among the most deflating results of his career

Daniel Brettig30-Jul-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith ranked a surprise hiding at the hands of Sri Lanka among the most deflating results of his career, after pledging his leadership would be focused upon improving the national team’s record in overseas territory.The 106-run defeat in little more than three days of actual playing time has put Australia’s No. 1 ranking at risk, being their seventh consecutive loss in Test matches in Asia and first to Sri Lanka in 17 years. Meanwhile a hamstring injury to the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe means Smith will be relying on the ability of the Victorian spinner Jon Holland to hit the ground running when he links up with the squad in Galle for a match on what is expected to be an even sharper spinning pitch than that seen in Pallekele. A task considered well within the team’s capability ahead of the series now looks exceptionally steep.Familiar Australian weaknesses against spin bowling were laid bare by Rangana Herath and his wrist-spinning offsider Lakshan Sandakan, as they shared 16 wickets between them. At the same time batsmen like David Warner and Usman Khawaja were put to shame by an extraordinarily composed innings of 176 from the 21-year-old Man of the Match Kusal Mendis. Smith, too, had reason for self-recrimination, as his charge down the track at Herath’s first ball on day two had effectively swung the match.”It is disappointing,” Smith said. “I said before the game that we haven’t played well in subcontinent conditions for quite a while now. It’s something that under my captaincy I want to change. There were glimpses throughout this game that we’ve improved in some aspects but I think we just let ourselves down a lot as well.”I generally play spinners quite aggressively. I’ve hit that ball for four or six several times throughout my career. I got beaten on the inside of the bat. It’s just summing it up and making sure I play with a straighter bat if I’m trying to go over the top. I know it looked ugly and it probably didn’t look great. For me, it’s about making sure I still have that intent to score.”In expressing sorrow for O’Keefe’s exit, particularly after he had fought bravely alongside Peter Nevill to try to delay defeat on the final afternoon, Smith also spoke optimistically about the skills of Holland. The pair were fellow academy inductees nearly a decade ago, and will need to find quick rapport as captain and spinner to help bring Sri Lanka’s batsmen to heel.”Galle is the biggest spinning place here in Sri Lanka, or so we’ve been told so it’s going to play a big part again,” Smith said. “Jon Holland is a class bowler, he’s done pretty well in state cricket and having a left-arm orthodox bowler in these conditions is a must. He’s accurate, he hits a good area and hopefully we can see some of the same as what we saw from Steve and Rangana, with some balls spinning and some balls skidding. It’s incredibly hard to play against and I’m looking forward to him getting here and having a couple of days’ preparation with us.”He and I went to the academy together so we know each other reasonably well and I’m sure he’ll fit in well around this group. There’s always challenges when you’re playing international cricket, especially away from home. He’s going to have to get a game plan and the speeds that he needs to bowl together pretty quickly. We’ll be working with him to make sure he gets that in and I’m really excited for him to join us.”Holland for O’Keefe is likely to be the only change to the Australian side, with Smith looking for his team to atone for their missteps in Pallekele.

Tottenham Hotspur legend and fan favourite Graham Roberts has slammed Napoli loanee Tanguy Ndombele for his comments about Spurs and Antonio Conte.

What's the latest on Ndombele?

Signing for a club-record £55 million in 2019, the former Lyon sensation hasn't gone on to justify his price tag since joining under Mauricio Pochettino. Indeed, despite a few purple patches of form, with former boss Jose Mourinho once praising him, it's been too few and far between.

Ndombele has been criticised for his work ethic in a Lilywhites jersey, and former boss Conte didn't appear to favour the Frenchman almost immediately after joining Spurs.

The midfielder joined ex-club Lyon on a half-season loan last year but ultimately failed to do enough to earn a permanent move. Now, Ndombele is out on another temporary spell at Serie A league leaders Napoli – where he has started just six league games whilst making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench (WhoScored).

The 26-year-old now faces an uncertain future as most of the noises suggest Luciano Spalletti's side are hesitant over signing Ndombele permanently.

And speaking in an interview with SoFoot recently (via The Evening Standard), the player claimed:

"“There was no other solution with Tottenham and I’m happy I chose Napoli.

“With Conte there was no choice, I would have liked to demonstrate my value on the pitch but I was on the edge of the group. It was communicated to me from the first day of training with the team.

“I don’t know what my future will be, many fans ask me to return to Tottenham but the clubs will decide and Napoli have an option to buy."

Weighing in on Ndomble's comments about Spurs and Conte, club favourite Roberts rebuffed his admission and says the £200,000-per-week man must stop blaming everyone but himself.

Writing on Twitter, Roberts explained:

"Tanguy Ndombele talking a great game again – why are you not playing at Napoli, then? Blame Jose, then you blame Conte, then you blame Spurs, maybe look at yourself, pal. You have lots of talent but you need to stop blaming everyone but yourself."

Could Ndombele reinvigorate his Spurs career?

Ndombele has showcased his real talent and been noted for his close control at times, but the issue is consistency. Whoever comes in to replace Conte at Spurs could see an opportunity to get the very best out of Ndombele.

However, given Pochettino, Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Tottenham's most recent boss all failed to do so, it could well also be a case of chairman Daniel Levy cutting his losses.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers broke their transfer record to sign precocious 18-year-old Fabio Silva for £35.6m in 2020, optimism was rife that the club had clinched the services of a possible prodigy.

Speaking of the deal, chairman Jeff Shi said: "Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability, but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class."

The Old Gold did not meld with the Portuguese teenager as anticipated, and Silva only managed to clinch four goals from 62 appearances before being shipped out on loan last summer to Belgian outfit Anderlecht, where he was recalled and pushed out to PSV Eindhoven in January.

The Premier League outfit will remain positive that Silva can hit the rich vein of form desired in the midlands, especially after the forward has enjoyed some fruitful fortunes this season.

How has Fabio Silva played this season?

Silva's quality has never been in question, rather, his physical presence and authority in the thick of the robustness of the Premier League, but at such a young age there is still plenty of time to make the increments to his physicality to partner the innate goal-scoring threat.

He is improving quickly, though, and has scored 15 goals and served five assists from 33 starts across his two temporary outfits this term.

What's been said about Fabio Silva?

Prior to his sojourns in Belgium and the Netherlands, The Mail's Ollie Lewis even hailed his "enormous potential" in August and said he "led the line superbly with his energy and physicality."

Former Old Gold captain Conor Coady also waxed lyrical over the rising star last year, praising the now 20-year-old for his impact on the squad, belying his youthful years and inexperience.

He said: "He’s been fantastic since he came in. He works so, so hard to improve and get better, and you see that now. We know when he comes into the team, he’ll do a job, and that’s what he’s doing at the minute."

Who could Silva replace at Wolves?

With Silva's development perhaps leaving him in good stead to forge a second surge for a place as the undisputed talisman at Molineux, Lopetegui must consider axing Diego Costa, with the 34-year-old striker failing to find the back of the net since his summer arrival as a free transfer.

Indeed, Costa has played 16 matches this season and failed to record even one direct contribution, and it is hard to envisage that his one-year deal will be extended.

As per Sofascore, the Spaniard has recorded an average league rating of only 6.56, taking 1.5 shots per match but unable to strike the back of the net; Costa's 0.4 key passes per match are below par too, his verve and efficiency waning after his past feats on English soil, starring for Chelsea and scoring 52 goals from 89 outings en-route to winning two Premier League titles.

With Silva in the maiden phase of his career and already boasting, as per WhoScored, 1.4 shots and 0.4 key passes per match – almost identical numbers to his senior peer – the ace could unleash the "monster" inside – as hailed by Jack Collins – and devastate Premier League defences with a shot at prominence at Molineux once again next term.

City considered signing a number of players who ended up moving to Old Trafford instead – and the blue half of Manchester must be glad they did

In a parallel universe, Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish are getting fired up ahead of the upcoming derby Manchester City. Haaland followed his former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Molde to Manchester United, while Grealish moved from Aston Villa to the Red Devils in 2020.

Meanwhile, City defensive duo Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, wearing light blue tracksuits, are discussing how they will stop Haaland and Grealish and are preparing themselves for the volley of abuse they will receive from the Stretford End.

Maguire joined City in 2019 along with Brazilian winger Antony, while Lindelof moved to the Etihad Stadium two years earlier. Raphael Varane is on the substitutes' bench for City after recovering from a niggling injury along with veteran Alexis Sanchez.

Paul Pogba, who controversially switched from the red half of Manchester to the blue half in 2022 as a free agent, will be lining up in midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes, who chose City over United in 2019…

Ok, let's head back to reality, even if it is fun to ponder what might have been been. Because, but for a few differences of opinion between sporting directors, chairmen and agents, a number of players involved in Sunday's Manchester Derby at Old Trafford could have been lining up on the opposite side of the divide.

With City still in the hunt to repeat last year's incredible treble success while United are looking increasingly likely to miss out on the top four, many of those players may have wished they chose a different destination. And City fans will be thanking their lucky stars they avoided some of the players who ended up flopping at Old Trafford.

Ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, GOAL runs through all the players who were on the verge of moving to City but ended up joining United instead and had a far less happy time as a consequence…

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  Alexis Sanchez

  In January 2018, with just months left on his contract at Arsenal, Sanchez faced a choice between joining two of the best coaches in the world. One option was reuniting with Pep Guardiola, who had signed him for Barcelona and who he has said "was like my dad".

  Then there was Jose Mourinho, who looked to be taking United back to the top. The Portuguese, who was already seeing his arch-rival run away with the title, could not bear the thought of another top player further strengthening City and made an appeal to Sanchez.

  "I was about to go to City," the Chilean told earlier this year. "We talked every day, he sent me messages. Suddenly the phone rings. Mourinho tells me: 'Alexis, here is the number seven shirt available for you'. I wanted to leave at that moment, but I had Guardiola's word.

  "That's when I said to myself, a Chilean footballer playing for Manchester United, something that has never happened. With the seven of Cantona, Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now a Chilean had it, it was a dream."

  That dream, though, quickly turned into a nightmare for everyone concerned. Sanchez later confessed that after his first training session with United, he asked his agent if he could rip up his contract and go back to Arsenal.

  The Chilean, who earned a reported £400,000 ($485,000)-per-week, never came close to replicating his form for the Gunners at United, and when the Red Devils made a miserable start to the following season, he bore the brunt of criticism.

  Sanchez left United for Inter after a miserable 18 months, scoring just five goals in 45 appearances and looking utterly devoid of confidence and verve, a shadow of the player he once was.

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  Harry Maguire

  Maguire was regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe after a stunning 2018 World Cup, and both City and United vied for his signature the following summer. Guardiola was an admirer and the club were ready to match the Red Devils' £70m ($85m) bid for him, but turned away when Leicester, seeing the competition breweing between the two rival clubs, raised their asking price to £80m ($97m).

  "We were interested but we could not afford him. United could," Guardiola later admitted. While Maguire had a perfect debut at Old Trafford, a 4-0 win over Chelsea, things quickly unravelled for him. He recovered his form to steer United to consecutive top-four finishes, but when the team began to fall apart under Solskjaer, he was blamed for their spiral of horrendous results, among them the 5-0 home humiliation by Liverpool.

  Erik ten Hag gave Maguire just eight league starts last season and wanted to sell him in the summer to West Ham for just £30m ($36m), but the defender refused to leave.

  Maguire has staged an impressive recovery after facing merciless ribbing from all quarters and silenced his critics. However, he has continued to be rocked by injury problems and is set to miss the derby. And City, who signed Ruben Dias in 2020 for £64m ($77m), will have few regrets about not getting the deal for Maguire over the line.

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  Paul Pogba

  Pogba's second spell at Manchester United was a long-running and painful saga that finally came to an end when his lucrative, six-year contract ran out in June 2022.

  Despite his many injury issues and the fact he had not managed to truly shine under Mourinho, Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick, City were interested in signing him as a free agent. It was not the first time that Pogba had been linked with City, as Guardiola revealed that he had been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman in 2018 after he fell out with Mourinho, despite agent Mino Raiola calling the City boss "a coward, a dog".

  Pogba, wary of the potential backlash from United fans, opted to move back to Juventus instead. But his second coming in Turin has been a nightmare in every sense, suffering two serious injuries, being subject to blackmail, and then failing a drugs test for elevated levels of testosterone. Another bullet dodged from City's point of view.

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  Cristiano Ronaldo

  With his time at Juventus coming to a bitter end in the summer of 2021, Ronaldo was considering his next move, and City were one of the few clubs who could afford him. When word spread that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was speaking to City, key figures from United, especially Sir Alex Ferguson, began to panic.

  "Honestly, it [moving to City] was close. They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan during his infamous interview in December 2022. "Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I spoke with him… He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I said 'OK, Boss'."

  Ronaldo made an immense start to his second coming, scoring twice on his debut against Newcastle and rescuing victories over Villarreal and Atalanta. But it was clear that United were a worse team as a result, as he slowed down their play and forced them to adapt their style of the past three years to suit him. Ronaldo ended the season as the team's top scorer but United registered their worst points total in 30 years in the Premier League, and his capacity to pull off escape acts slowly diminished.

  His me-first attitude had also had a negative effect on the team, and in his second campaign he stunk out the place, leaving a friendly against Rayo Vallecano at half-time and refusing to come on as a substitute before full-time against Tottenham, incurring a brief suspension. His unauthorised sit-down with Morgan embarrassed United further and there was only going to be one ending – ripping up his contract.

  City, meanwhile, won another title without a striker and then welcomed in Erling Haaland, who fired them to the treble. Yet another bullet dodged.