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Arsenal are preparing for their EFL Cup quarter final at the Emirates against a resurgent Crystal Palace side fresh off the back of a stunning 3-1 victory at rivals Brighton.

Mikel Arteta has become increasingly frustrated in recent weeks at his side’s inability to score regularly from open play, relying a lot on set piece routines.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are all players that have come under fire for not producing enough output in forward areas for their team. Martinelli in particular has come under criticism from Thierry Henry for his ‘decision making’.

With a league title on the line and nemesis Manchester City also struggling for form, Arsenal know that this season could present an opportunity they can ill afford to miss out on. It may be time for Arteta to bolster his forward line.

Arsenal line up January striker reinforcement

Arsenal’s 0-0 draw at home to Everton saw the Gunners miss an opportunity to close the gap on leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table. Arsenal have scored just 29 goals so far this campaign, the eighth best in the league and it has led to many fans calling for a new striker.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka are the club’s top scorers with just five goals apiece, with the next in line being Martinelli and defender Gabriel with just three league goals.

So, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are chasing a move for PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani. The French forward has struggled to make an impact at the Paris club this season, making just ten appearances and scoring twice.

It seems that PSG would be open to offers for Kolo Muani and would be willing to negotiate a range of deals, including a loan with an option to buy. Both Manchester clubs are also allegedly interested in the attack. It would seem it is an opportunity that is interesting Arsenal boss Arteta as he looks to add much-needed firepower to his forward options.

Kolo Muani could have an 'Aubameyang' impact

It wouldn’t be the first time Arsenal have signed a high-profile striker in January in order to give their season an injection of magic. Back in 2018, Arsenal signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund on January deadline day to much fanfare.

That season, Aubameyang exploded into life, scoring ten goals in just 13 league games and helped Arsenal qualify for a Europa League spot. The Gabon striker went on to captain the club, winning the FA Cup in 2020 and firing 92 goals in 163 games for the North London side.

Should Arsenal sign Kolo Muani, once described as a “future superstar” by former Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner, Arteta and the fans will be hoping for a similar impact to that of Aubameyang, which could be enough to claim Arsenal their first silverware since that FA Cup win in 2020.

When comparing the two strikers, there are certain similarities to suggest that this may not just be a pipedream for the Gunners.

Goals

0.43

0.58

Assists

0.35

0.27

Shots on target

54.5%

42%

Progressive carries

2.55

2.34

Progressive passes

2.98

1.99

Progressive passes received

8.87

8.08

Aerial duels won

51.7%

40%

Despite Aubameyang having the advantage on goals scored, it seems Kolo Muani presents himself as the more complete striker when comparing their 23/24 Ligue 1 seasons.

The £77m French forward produced more assists, had more progressive passes, passes received and carries than Aubameyang and had a higher shots on target percentage with an impressive 54.5%. Perhaps the most interesting stat for Arsenal fans would be the number of aerial duels won by Kolo Muani at 51.7% given the number of crosses provided into the box by Bukayo Saka in particular.

Kolo Muani would certainly give Arsenal a different option in their forward line and one that Arteta may be desperate for in his bid to end the clubs twenty year Premier League drought.

Imagine him & Odegaard: Arsenal targeting £67m "machine" who's like Osimhen

The sensational striker would be an excellent addition to the Arsenal squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 17, 2024

We’re only two games into 2025 for Arsenal and it already looks as though their title charge is lingering in the dust.

The Gunners have dropped points at some vital moments this term but their 1-1 draw against Brighton has perhaps firmly planted the final nail in the coffin.

Twice Mikel Arteta’s men have dropped points against the Seagulls this term and on both occasions, it’s been in controversial circumstances.

At the beginning of the campaign, Declan Rice was sent off for delaying the restart after a red card that has scarcely been seen in Premier League history.

Away at Brighton on Saturday evening, Arsenal dropped points again and it was a contentious penalty that proved to be their downfall.

William Saliba and Joao Pedro contested for the ball and grazed heads which caused the Brighton attacker to go down holding his face. There was contact but it was remarkably soft and wasn’t overturned on VAR review.

Pedro stepped up and fired home his penalty to give the hosts a share of the spoils.

For Arsenal, they could be eight points behind Liverpool come 7pm this evening after Arne Slot’s side have faced Manchester United.

Arteta could at least dip his toes into the transfer window this month and one player they should be all over is Matheus Cunha.

The latest on Matheus Cunha to Arsenal

Reports at the beginning of this transfer window have suggested that Arsenal will push to acquire the Wolves forward this month.

There have even been claims that the London side have closed in on personal terms with the Brazilian ahead of a potential move in 2025.

That said, any deal over the winter looks as though it will be incredibly difficult to complete due to the fee involved and his role at Wolves.

The latest on his future is that allegedly, he has agreed a new deal with the Molineux outfit which will no doubt bump his price tag up should a move occur.

With the former Atletico Madrid forward penning those fresh terms, it would make a deal far more likely in the summer than during January.

Either way, Arsenal could certainly do with a player of his calibre judging by the performance of a certain Leandro Trossard against Brighton.

Leandro Trossard’s performance in numbers

Arsenal have been battling to find form in the final third this season and that hasn’t been helped in recent weeks by Bukayo Saka’s heartbreaking hamstring injury.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Ethan Nwaneri has deputised well, scoring the Gunners’ only goal at the Amex this weekend. However, after being withdrawn at half time with a muscular injury, it leaves Arteta searching for more answers.

Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli – the scorer of recent goals against Crystal Palace and Brentford – have been positives but Trossard is still failing to cover himself in much glory.

The Belgian registered the assist for the game’s only goal in the 1-0 win over Ipswich during the festive period but he just simply hasn’t been up to scratch for large patches of 2024/25 to date.

Last season, the 30-year-old was Arsenal’s second top scorer with 16 but he has only found the net four times from 27 outings this term.

No one in the club’s forward line, Nwaneri aside, really did anything of note against Trossard’s former employers on Saturday but the Belgium international was by far one of the worst performers.

Handed a 5/10 match rating by the Standard’s Simon Collings, he noted that it was ‘a pretty quiet game back at his old club’ and that he ‘didn’t really get into the game much’. The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid was slightly more harsh with assessment, simply commenting that Trossard was “so so bad”.

That was certainly apt as the winger failed to register a single shot on target, produced no key passes and had fewer touches (49) than goalkeeper David Raya (58).

Minutes played

90

Touches

49

Accurate passes

31/35 (89%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Long balls

0

Shots on target

0

Shots off target

1

Shots blocked

2

Successful dribbles

1/1

Duels won

4/5

Trossard did complete his one and only dribble attempt in the match but his inability to fashion chances and get involved in the play showed exactly why Arsenal need to sign a player like Cunha.

This season, despite Wolves’ struggles, he has scored ten goals in 19 Premier League appearances. Cunha isn’t a Saka-level player but few players are and Arsenal must push as hard as they can to either sign him or another forward this winter.

If Saka’s injury hasn’t already forced their hands, then the events of Saturday certainly should have.

Fewer touches than Raya: 5/10 Arsenal dud may have just cost them the title

Arsenal’s title bid took a big blow against Brighton on Saturday.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 4, 2025

Aston Villa, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and West Ham have all sent scouts to watch Galatasaray star Baris Alper Yilmaz ahead of the summer.

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Galatasaray star emerging as a targetPL quartet all represented as Gala played BesiktasYilmaz a tricky wingerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per TBR Football, all four Premier League clubs were represented at Galatasaray's clash with Besiktas, which Besiktas won 2-1. According to the report, the primary focus of their scouting mission was Yilmaz, a versatile wideman who can play on either flank or as a striker.

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The 24-year-old is a Turkiye international with 26 caps, and he has been in fine form this season, scoring 10 goals and registering three assists in 27 league games. The Premier League sides were also interested in watching Semih Kilicsoy, although the 19-year-old was sent off during the game.

DID YOU KNOW?

Yilmaz is so versatile that he has even played at full-back and in central midfield throughout his career. He has a contract with Gala until 2027, so their resolve may well be tested this summer if any of the four clubs decide to formalise their interest.

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Gala are currently six points clear of Fenerbahce at the top of the Super Lig and will hope to bring home the trophy before considering any potential departures. They face Fener in the quarter-final of the Turkish Cup on Wednesday.

Sunrisers never recover after leaking 81 runs in wicketless powerplay

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2022Bryony Smith struck a belligerent half-century as defending champions South East Stars headed into Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day on Saturday with a comfortable 56-run win over Sunrisers at Guildford.Smith pummelled exactly 50 from just 30 balls, sharing an opening stand of 87 with Aylish Cranstone as the hosts rattled up 183 for 9, their best score in the competition and just short of the overall record of 186 set by Thunder last season.The Stars’ skipper then returned 2 for 17 while Kalea Moore took 2 for 16 as Sunrisers were bowled out for 127 in reply despite 31 from Amara Carr for the visitors.Victory means Stars top the group ahead of Central Sparks who they will meet in the playoff game to start final’s day at Wantage Road.Smith chose to bat on winning the toss and the allrounder and the tournament’s leading run-scorer Cranstone gorged on some loose powerplay bowling from Sunrisers.Related

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Smith swept viciously and played the pull shot to great effect to clear the ropes four times, while Cranstone hit four fours off the second over bowled by Naomi Dattani.The hosts reached 81 without loss in the powerplay and Smith raced to 50 before spooning a catch to Scarlett Hughes off the bowling of Kelly Castle.It was the beginning of a frugal spell from Castle of 2 for 14, during which she also caught and bowled Kira Chathli and Sunrisers’ skipper was sharp in the field too, running out Alice Capsey for nought with a direct hit from mid-off.Cranstone perished when she mishit an attempted scoop off Dattani to wicketkeeper Carr, but Emma Jones hit one six clean out the ground in a whirlwind 33 from 17, as, despite a late flurry of wickets, Stars posted a huge total.Sunrisers made the worst possible start when Hughes hit the first ball of their reply from Moore to Cranstone at cover and the spinner struck again in her next over, trapping Grace Scrivens lbw.The in-form Dattani also didn’t detain for long, skying a ball from Alexa Stonehouse to Capsey, leaving the visitors 23 for 3.Carr cleared the ropes to top score, but neither her enterprise or Mady Villiers’ cameo of 22 were enough to redress the balance and when Mia Rogers holed out in the deep off Phoebe Franklin the game was up for Sunrisers.

Review’s latest update gives clearest indication yet that volume of domestic cricket will be reduced

Matt Roller21-Jul-2022Sir Andrew Strauss has given his clearest hint yet that his high-performance review will push for the volume of cricket in the men’s domestic schedule to be reduced, and denied that England’s Test results this summer have rendered the review obsolete.Strauss, the chair of the ECB’s cricket committee, launched the review during England’s tour of the Caribbean in March after the Test team’s poor run of results had culminated in a 4-0 defeat to Australia in the Ashes. He appointed a panel of experts in May who have now “identified a set of principles which underpin sustained successful high performance”.”Naturally I’m delighted to see this change in fortunes and I’ve loved watching the thrilling way the team have been playing,” Strauss wrote in a blog on the ECB’s website. “Rob Key warned us to hang on for the ride, and he and Brendon [McCullum] are certainly delivering on that.”But the high-performance review is about building sustained success. We don’t just want to succeed in one series, for one year, or in one format at a time. We want to be [the] best in the world across all three men’s formats – Test, 50-over and T20 internationals. By this we mean that in five years we are [the] number one ranked team in at least one format and at least number three in all of them – and to be able to sustain this for years at a time.”The game globally is undergoing fundamental change. Domestic leagues have grown in power and pull, we now have an ICC international white-ball competition scheduled every year, and players have an unprecedented choice of what cricket they want to play. We need to future-proof our game.”Winning four Test matches – thrilling though it has been – doesn’t change that need. We need a system that’s aligned from top to bottom, that ensures a strong, high-performing, domestic game that fans love and which provides us with the pipeline of England stars ready for the international stage.”Related

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Strauss said that he had been “encouraged” by his early conversations with county chairs and chief executives and distanced himself from reports about the subjects that had been discussed in the review’s early stages, saying: “I continue to read speculation attributed to the review which we haven’t even discussed.”However, Strauss made clear when outlining the key principles discussed by his expert panel that the schedule needs to ensure an “appropriate balance” between playing, training and rest – one which is clearly not possible under the existing domestic fixture list, as the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) have made clear.”Players need to spend quality time on task,” Strauss wrote. “This means competitions delivering the best versus the best, playing in conditions which are representative of the international game, an appropriate balance of matches, training, and rest, and incentives to attract, develop, and retain talent.”We are now working with subject matter experts and a working group of the professional game – made up of CEOs, Directors of Cricket and the Professional Cricketers’ Association – to develop clear options for the whole game to debate. We’ll also be speaking to supporters this summer.”I recognise that there is a lot of interest in what any options around domestic structures and competitions might look like. However, it’s important to reiterate that this review is about more than that – it’s about the England performance setups and pathways every bit as much as domestic competitions. When we have developed these options, I’ll update again then, and there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss them.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has opened up on captain Virgil van Dijk's drop in form after the Dutchman struggled again in the Reds' shock Fulham loss.

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Van Dijk struggling for form latelyLiverpool struggled against FulhamSlot not worried about Van Dijk's formFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool started their season off in style and continued to perform as one of the best teams in the world, with Van Dijk's top form in defence helping the Reds' attack and midfield play more freely. However, as the season has gone on, the Merseyside club's form has dropped, and so have Van Dijk's performances.

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Van Dijk has had subpar performances over the last couple of months, especially when Liverpool lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 and their loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. The Reds fell to a defeat against Fulham, only the second time in the Premier League this season, and Van Dijk's form was questioned yet again. However, Slot is not worried about the centre-back's form.

Getty Images SportWHAT SLOT SAID

Speaking to the media, Slot said: “If you look at Beto, Virgil wasn’t the first defender to find it hard to play against him as he chases for every ball, pushes you just before you get the ball.

“The one who played there today, you have to give a lot of credit to him as well.

“I still see a lot of things that Virgil does really well. If you play 50 to 60 games a season, even for Virgil, there will be one or two moments where he could have done better. I don’t worry about Virgil.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR VAN DIJK?

Liverpool are still uncertain over Van Dijk's future as his contract is set to run out this summer. However, after the loss to Fulham, the Dutchman revealed that he had reopened contract talks with the Reds, but did not fully commit his future to the club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have placed a 24-year-old attacker at the top of their January transfer wishlist, according to a recent report.

Wolves transfer news

Vitor Pereira managed to avoid an upset in his first FA Cup match, as he guided Wolves to a 2-1 victory over Bristol City on Saturday afternoon. The FA Cup was a nice distraction for the Premier League side, but the focus now turns back to league action, as they face two massive games against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Pereira could finally sell Wolves man who had fewer touches than Johnstone

Pereira can finally sell Wolves man after his poor display against Bristol

1 ByConnor Holden Jan 11, 2025

The Midlands side are out of the bottom three on goal difference but still have a lot to do to ensure they don’t go down this season. To boost their chances of survival, Pereira will be keen to add to his squad this month. Wolves have already added Emmanuel Agbadou to their ranks, and they are now looking to add a striker, as talks have begun to sign Kelechi Iheanacho from Sevilla.

The former Leicester City man is free to leave the Spanish side this month, and Wolves have opened preliminary talks to sign the Nigeria international on loan for the remainder of the campaign. The Midlands side are also interested in signing Renato Veiga from Chelsea this month, with them already seeing an approach turned down. The Blues want to keep hold of the player, but he is likely to leave Stamford Bridge in this transfer window.

Wolves make versatile attacker top January transfer target

The Premier League side are not only looking to sign Iheanacho to improve their forward line, as according to Foot Mercato, Wolves have placed Zakaria Aboukhlal at the top of their transfer list for this month.

The 24-year-old currently plays for French side Toulouse and has done so since joining them back in 2022 from AZ Alkmaar. Aboukhlal, who can play anywhere across the frontline, really excelled in youth football back in the Netherlands and has taken that into top-level football, as he netted 10 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games last season and already has six goals to his name in this 2024/25 campaign.

Aboukhlal has played an important role in helping Toulouse make a good start to the Ligue 1 season, and his form at the top end of the pitch has now placed him at the top of Wolves’ transfer list.

Apps

73

Goals

24

Assists

7

Wolves and Pereira were keen to bring in a new right-winger and had been alerted to Aboukhlal’s performances, and the Morocco international has since emerged as their preferred target to strengthen that position of the team. They are following him closely, attracted by his ability to improve the depth all the way across the attack due to the fact he can play on both wings or through the middle.

The winger is under contract until 2026, so a tempting offer this month could see the French side cash in on their star attacker.

Everton have reportedly reached an agreement with a new manager who has beaten them six times in his career, following the sacking of Sean Dyche.

Dyche sacked by Everton

On Thursday, almost out of the blue, it was confirmed that Dyche had been dismissed at Goodison Park, having told The Friedkin Group earlier in the week that he had taken his team as far as he could.

The Englishman lasted in the Everton job for just under two years, having arrived in late January in 2023, and overall, it was a hugely disappointing spell. Granted, he managed to steer the Merseysiders away from Premier League relegation twice, but that’s nothing to shout about for a club of their size.

This season hasn’t been good enough for the Blues, both in terms of results and performances, with Dyche’s team languishing in 16th place in the table, as well as playing arguably the dullest football in the division, scoring only 15 goals in 19 league games. Only bottom-place Southampton (12) have scored fewer.

Even before Dyche’s sacking, other managers were being linked with replacing him, including former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, but it looks as though someone else is already the front-runner to succeed the 53-year-old.

Everton reach agreement with top manager target

According to journalist Graeme Bailey on X, Everton have reached an agreement with David Moyes on an initial short-term deal until this summer. This follows from the reliable Paul Joyce claiming that Moyes is “of interest” to the Blues and the Scot is the “first choice” target.

While not necessarily perfect, Moyes does feel like the safest option to come in and steady the ship at Everton, having enjoyed such an impressive spell at the club first time around, not least finishing fourth in the Premier League during the 2004/05 season.

The 61-year-old knows the club inside out, and with a move to a new stadium happening at the end of this season, being relegated to the Championship doesn’t even bear thinking about. Bringing in a manager who is an expert at knowing the Premier League and how to grind out results is, therefore, imperative, and Moyes ticks that box emphatically.

Not only that, but he has shown what a competent manager he is when coming up against Everton throughout his career, beating them six times overall, while Micah Richards lauded him after guiding West Ham to UEFA Europa Conference League glory.

Everton eyeing dream Moyes alternative who once held talks with Liverpool

Everton are looking to seal a swift replacement now that Dyche has been deposed.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 10, 2025

There may be some Everton fans who feel that a Moyes reunion won’t work, or want a manager with more progressive ideas, but he feels like a strong choice at a critical point in the club’s history.

The KPL, as it was known then, will now be called the Maharaja Trophy T20 and feature six teams

Shashank Kishore16-Jul-2022The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is relaunching its T20 tournament this August, three years after the competition was hit by a series of corruption allegations and, subsequently, the Covid-19 pandemic.The Karnataka Premier League (KPL), as it was known then, will now be called the Maharaja Trophy T20. The rebranding aside, the KSCA has made some structural changes in the way the six-team tournament will be run going forward.What is new?
The KSCA has disbanded the franchise model and will take complete control of all cricketing aspects – right from player draft to payments to appointments of coaches and staff. They have, however, brought on board sponsors for each of the six teams for the ninth edition, set to run from August 7 to 26 across Bengaluru and Mysore.Was corruption the reason for the change in structure?
Primarily, the KSCA has made the shift keeping in mind the country’s tax laws. “The association is liable to pay a higher percentage of its revenue in the form of taxes should they stick to the franchise system, since it’s seen under the tax lens as income earned” secretary Santosh Menon said. “The current format – with KSCA bearing all expenses – won’t attract the same percentage of tax.” That said, the KSCA has reiterated its stance of complying with all anti-corruption protocols as mandated by the BCCI.Who are the six teams?
Each of KSCA’s six zones are represented – Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Raichur and Mangaluru.How will teams be formed?
The KSCA’s cricket committee, headed by president and former India allrounder Roger Binny, has formed a core group of six selectors picked from across the six zones of the state who will take part in the draft process to ensure all squads are balanced. The selectors are Anand Katti, AR Mahesh, MV Prashanth, Santosh Vadeyaraj and Raghotham Navli.All top cricketers within the age bracket of 35 years will be eligible to play. The KSCA committee will also nominate the captains and vice-captains. There will be no involvement of team sponsors in selecting the playing XI, or in any other cricketing decision.Mangalore United celebrate after winning the Karnataka Premier League in 2010•Mantri KPLWho appoints the coaches?
The KSCA has distributed top coaching talent – one head coach and one assistant – to each of the six teams. The head coaches are Stuart Binny, Nazeeruddin, Mansur Ali Khan, Nikhil Haldipur, Deepak Chougale and PV Shashikant. One physio, trainer and video analyst will also be appointed for each of the six teams.How will the draft process take place?
Players are divided into four grades – A, B, C and D. Those who have played for India and in the IPL will form Grade A. State players who’ve only featured in one of the senior tournaments (Ranji Trophy/Vijay Hazare Trophy/Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) will be part of Grade B. Those who’ve featured in various age-group tournaments (Under-19s, Under-23s) will form Grade C, while Grade D will comprise emerging talent.How much do the players stand to earn?
Unlike earlier, where players were picked at an auction – Pavan Deshpande was 2019’s most expensive player at INR 7.3 lakh – payments will be uniform as per the grades they belong to. Those in A will get a flat fee of INR 5 lakh. Players in B, C and D will earn INR 2 lakh, 1 lakh and 50,000 respectively.Who are some of the top players to look forward to?
All top players of the state – except those on national duty – will take part. These include Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham among others.Will the matches be televised?
Yes. Star Sports are the broadcast partners.What is the format?
Each team will play the other five once, before the bottom two are filtered out. The top four will then go through the same process of qualification and elimination similar to the IPL playoffs system.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has aimed a dig at Matheus Nunes as the Catalan tactician discussed a potential position change for the midfielder.

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Guardiola aims a dig at Nunes'Not clever enough' for midfieldSuggests switch to right-backFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Nunes joined Manchester City in a £47 million ($60m) transfer from Wolves in the summer of 2023, following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan. The Portugal international was expected to be the direct replacement for the German, however, he has struggled for form under Guardiola in the middle of the field.

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This season, Nunes started off as a natural midfielder whenever he played, however, he was then shifted over to the left wing, where he struggled as well. As such, the Portugal international was moved to right-back following the lack of form shown by Kyle Walker, prior to his departure to AC Milan. Nunes started in that role yet again against Manchester United on Sunday, and Guardiola has now claimed that he could be a better right-back than a midfielder.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to the media, Guardiola said: "He can become a good right-back for the physicality. I think he's not a player to play in the middle because he's not clever enough, in composure. He has incredible skills and he's learning a lot; full-backs always have a big mistake when a cross to the far-post where you are, always they're sleeping.

"He defended really well two or three crosses from Bruno Fernandes, [Patrick] Dorgu. He has physicality to do it, he can play that position and he's helped a lot. When we started the season and I tell we're going to play Matheus at right-back, Nico [O'Reilly] left-back, you'd tell me, 'What are you talking about?' But the season is what it is."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR NUNES?

Nunes will likely remain as City's main right-back for the rest of the season, with the number of injuries they have to contend with. However, it remains to be seen if Guardiola would prefer to sign a natural right-sided full-back in the summer.