It's the most wonderful time of the year... the Premier League is back after the World Cup break, and with the top flight's return comes the chance to made inroads in your fantasy league.

The congested festive fixture list always makes December tough to navigate, but things are a little different this year, with many players' availability in question following their trips to Qatar.

With the start of the campaign a distant memory and many of the league's best players likely to be sidelined, how will fantasy managers make the correct selections? 

That's where Stats Perform hopes to help, delving into the Opta numbers to identify four players who could make a flying start when the Premier League resumes.

Nick Pope (Leicester City v Newcastle United)

An unused member of Gareth Southgate's England squad in Qatar, Pope appears certain to start between the sticks at Leicester City on Monday, having already appeared in the EFL Cup this week, and has enjoyed a fine campaign to date.

As well as keeping seven Premier League clean sheets this term – a tally only matched by Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale – Pope has conceded just 11 goals from shots worth 13.9 expected goals on target since the start of the season.

The Newcastle United goalkeeper has thus prevented 2.9 goals, a figure only bettered by Alisson (7.8) and Jordan Pickford (4.2), and he will be protected by a rock-solid defence when the Champions League-chasing Magpies visit the King Power Stadium.

Ben White (Arsenal v West Ham)

Premier League leaders Arsenal are the only team to match Newcastle's record of just 11 goals conceded this season, and White has played a key role for Mikel Arteta's side.

Since the start of last season, Arsenal have conceded just 1.0 goals per game with White in the team. Without him, the Gunners have shipped 2.2 goals on average.

Fantasy managers love a defender with the ability to also contribute in attack, and having moved to right-back this season, White is one of just seven Premier League defenders to create 10 chances from open play while contributing to four or more clean sheets.

Having left England's World Cup camp early, White looks well-placed to contribute against West Ham – who have only scored 12 goals in 15 league games this term.

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace v Fulham)

Ivory Coast international Zaha was absent from the World Cup, and his tally of eight goal contributions in the Premier League this season suggests he may make an impact against Fulham.

Zaha's return of six goals and two assists means he has been involved in 53 per cent of Crystal Palace's goals in the competition this campaign (eight of 15). Only Everton's Alex Iwobi (55 per cent, six of 11) has contributed to a larger share of his team's goals.

Meanwhile, Zaha is averaging a goal involvement every 144 minutes this season, a better rate than in any of his previous Premier League campaigns.

Erling Haaland (Leeds United v Manchester City)

When it comes to players who missed the World Cup, the Premier League's leading goalscorer Haaland is understandably the name on everyone's lips.

Having played just 13 Premier League games, Haaland is two goals away from his 20th goal in the competition. Should he hit the net twice against his hometown club Leeds United, the Manchester City talisman will reach that figure in record time. Kevin Phillips needed 21 career games to reach 20, while Luis Suarez owns an impressive single-season record inside 15 games in 2013-14.

Haaland's 18 Premier League goals have come from chances worth 11.1 expected goals, while he has averaged a goal every 2.9 attempts.

With Haaland converting 34.6 per cent of his shots this season, fantasy managers will be hard pushed to ignore the Norway international after a lengthy break.

Kevin De Bruyne showed he is "unstoppable" when playing with "this fire inside" in Manchester City's 3-2 EFL Cup win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola said.

De Bruyne was well below his brilliant best as Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage earlier this month.

But his first match back in City colours on Thursday provided a reminder of the midfielder's remarkable talents.

De Bruyne supplied assists for Erling Haaland and Nathan Ake in a gripping cup tie, creating a game-high five chances in all as he ran the show at the Etihad Stadium.

As well as excelling with the ball, De Bruyne led the City press out of possession, winning four turnovers in the final third. Rico Lewis (two) was the only other player on the pitch to manage more than one.

"Kevin, when he plays with this fire inside of him, he finds himself this fire... what a player," manager Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"How many years is Kevin here? Seven, eight years? I think so. There's so many things. He's an absolute legend.

"Always I push him to find this fire. In important games, when he has this, he's unstoppable."

Guardiola reserved additional praise for Lewis, the 18-year-old right-back who took 89 touches and won five duels against the Reds – trailing only Rodri among City players in both metrics.

"In a long, long time, I didn't see a performance like Rico Lewis," Guardiola said of a teenager who debuted in August. 

"He's 18 years old, playing against Liverpool with big stars up front, and the way he played with the ball and without the ball...

"We are lucky, incredibly lucky to have this player for the next decade. Hopefully the club can keep him, because he was exceptional. The game he played was exceptional."

Jurgen Klopp was left to rue an opening 15 minutes that "killed our confidence" and conceding "completely unnecessary goals" after Manchester City knocked Liverpool out of the EFL Cup.

City beat the holders 3-2 in a thrilling tie at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Erling Haaland put the Premier League champions in front by volleying in Kevin De Bruyne's pinpoint cross, but Fabio Carvalho equalised against the run of play 20 minutes into both sides' first game after the World Cup break.

A sublime touch and finish from Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the second half, only for Mohamed Salah brought the Reds level again just 80 seconds later.

City were the better side, though, and Nathan Ake headed in a terrific cross from the outstanding De Bruyne to win it just before the hour-mark.

Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports: "We played a formation that we haven't played for a long time, and we had to change in pretty much our last [training] session. You could see that, we needed time to adapt.

"In the first 15 minutes we had real problems and that killed our confidence and conviction a little bit."

Klopp was frustrated that De Bruyne was allowed too much time to whip in the cross for Haaland to open the scoring and switched off again to give the Belgium playmaker the chance to set up Ake following a short corner.

He added: "The goals we conceded were completely unnecessary. We had to be more switched on, especially for the third goal. Also the first goal, we should deny the cross.

"There are a lot of things we can build on and that's what we will do. It's a result we have to live with now."

James Milner was withdrawn in the first half due to a hamstring injury, but Klopp revealed he is hopeful he has not done any significant damage.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played no part due to a virus, while Virgil van Dijk is set to return to the squad for the Boxing Day fixture at Aston Villa after featuring for the Netherlands in the World Cup.

Manchester United will host third-tier Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, while Manchester City face Southampton after eliminating last season's winners Liverpool.

Goals from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford saw United beat Championship leaders Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and another home tie will await the Red Devils in the last eight.

League One Charlton are the only non-Premier League side remaining in the competition after the Addicks won a penalty shoot-out to upset Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.

United boss Erik ten Hag is looking to end a five-year trophy drought for the club, who have not claimed any major silverware since Jose Mourinho led them to Europa League and EFL Cup glory in 2017.

Meanwhile, United's rivals City will visit Southampton after overcoming Liverpool in a thrilling fourth-round tie on Thursday, with Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Ake scoring in a 3-2 victory.

City have won the trophy in five of the past seven seasons and will equal Liverpool as the most successful club in EFL Cup history if they win their ninth title this term.

Newcastle United will host Leicester City in another all-Premier League tie after overcoming Eddie Howe's former club Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Wolves visit fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest. 

The ties will be played in the week commencing January 9, following the third round of the FA Cup. 

Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal of the season and Kevin De Bruyne delivered a masterclass as Manchester City beat holders Liverpool 3-2 to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

The two heavyweights served up a thriller at the Etihad Stadium in their first game after the World Cup break, and it was the Premier League champions who deservedly came out on top.

Haaland opened the scoring, only for Fabio Carvalho to equalise in the first half of a pulsating tie on Thursday.

Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the season half, but Mohamed Salah soon levelled with his 15th goal of the campaign.

The outstanding De Bruyne then provided a second assist of the game for Nathan Ake, and Jurgen Klopp's men were unable to respond for a third time, suffering a first defeat to City in six matches.

Liverpool had been unable to cope with City's early intensity, and Haaland netted the opener 10 minutes in, getting in front of Joe Gomez to volley De Bruyne's pinpoint cross into the bottom-left corner.

The Reds were level from out of the blue 10 minutes later, Carvalho calmly stroking into the far corner after James Milner picked him out in the penalty area.

Caoimhin Kelleher denied Ilkay Gundogan and Ake after they were brilliantly set up by De Bruyne, before Darwin Nunez twice drilled wide.

Mahrez caught Liverpool out with a great touch from Rodri's pass before firing home just over a minute into the second half, yet City's lead only lasted 79 seconds as Nunez showed great pace to get away down the left and unselfishly laid an equaliser on a plate for Salah.

Liverpool were punished for another defensive lapse just before the hour-mark, though, switching off from a short corner and allowing De Bruyne to whip in an exquisite delivery for Ake to nod in.

Nunez spurned another great chance when he shot wide of the far post after bursting clear, with City this time holding on to advance.

Jesse Marsch revealed a joke with his former Salzburg striker Erling Haaland ahead of Manchester City's visit to Leeds United on Wednesday.

Haaland – who spent half a season under Marsch before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020 – has scored 18 Premier League goals this season, six more than his closest rival Harry Kane.

The Norway international was born in Leeds, where his father Alfie Haaland spent three years as a player before himself joining City in 2000.

Haaland was perhaps the most high-profile player not to feature at the recent World Cup in Qatar, and Marsch is concerned about what that could mean for Leeds when they resume their Premier League campaign against the champions.

Asked if he had been in contact with Haaland ahead of the game, Leeds boss Marsch said: "He texted me as soon as the schedule came out. 

"He said he's most excited for this, and I gave him permission to have a small hamstring injury for that match!

"He was born in Leeds, his father has history here, and he has the club in his heart because of that. 

"We have talked about it. When I got the job, he and his father were supportive. We'll expect him to be fully ready, and that causes issues for us."

Leeds lost their two Premier League meetings with City by an aggregate score of 11-0 last season, and they have not won any of their last seven home games against reigning top-flight champions.

While City boss Pep Guardiola is waiting for several players to return, Marsch would have preferred to see more of their key men remain involved in the World Cup until the latter stages.

Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium and Ilkay Gundogan's Germany did not make it out of the group stage, while Spain exited in the last 16 and England, Portugal and Brazil in the quarter-finals. Argentina forward Julian Alvarez was the only City star involved from the semi-finals onwards.

"Right now, it is Man City we are focused on. I would have hoped their players would have gone deeper in the World Cup, but it is so competitive," Marsch said.

"They have a great squad and the best manager in the world. We are not afraid of the biggest opponents. 

"We've proven we can compete and get points, but we need a good plan and execution to do that, and we know that."

Lionel Messi is currently holidaying in his homeland after Argentina's World Cup victory.

But the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's club future is a hot topic, having put off any contract talks until after the event.

Messi is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season, with former club Barcelona consistently linked.

TOP STORY – MESSI AGREES TO STAY WITH PSG

Lionel Messi has agreed to a one-year contract extension with PSG, according to Le Parisien.

The 35-year-old had put off contract talks until after the World Cup, which concluded on Sunday with Messi lifting the title with Argentina.

The report claims Messi and PSG have reached an agreement in principle, with the deal to be sealed once the Argentine returns to France.

ROUND-UP

– CBS's Ben Jacobs claims PSG will not let Kylian Mbappe exit the club in January and any off-season move will only be permitted at the right price. Mbappe was heavily linked with Real Madrid previously, but the move did not materialise, as he ultimately re-signed in May with the Parisians until 2025.

– Barcelona have lost interest in Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, moving on from the idea of attempting to sign the 32-year-old on a free transfer in the off-season due to his age, claims SPORT.

– Manchester United are interested in Aston Villa's Argentina World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, claims Football Insider. That comes with David de Gea's future at Old Trafford unclear.

– Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea are on the verge of reaching agreement on a deal for Vasco da Gama's 18-year-old Andrey Santos. The Daily Mail claims the deal is worth £18m.

– Tottenham will rival Bayern Munich in pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, according to GiveMeSport. Spurs are looking for a successor to veteran Hugo Lloris, while Bayern have lost Manuel Neuer to injury.

Miguel Almiron holds no grudges towards Jack Grealish and "would shake his hand" despite the Manchester City man's disparaging jibe.

Grealish suggested team-mate Riyad Mahrez had "played like Almiron" after being substituted in City's victory over Aston Villa to secure the Premier League title on the final day of last season.

The England international has since acknowledged he regrets the comments in a clip that went viral on social media – referencing Almiron's previously underwhelming performances for Newcastle United.

Almiron's form has since upturned, with the Paraguay international scoring seven goals in eight games for Newcastle before the World Cup break, and he insists he has no issues with Grealish.

"I didn't pay a lot of attention, I was on holiday with my family," Almiron told The Daily Mail. "And I didn't have a mobile phone signal! So no, I didn't watch the video. I wasn't bothered.

"I'm not interested in that. Jack's a great player and I will always wish him all the best. He's at Manchester City for good reason. I just avoid making any comparisons.

"It's about me focusing on what I do. It's no big deal."

Almiron believes Grealish's apology highlights the character of the 27-year-old.

He added: "I saw the interview and heard that he spoke positively about me. I've never had anything against Jack and have maintained all along that I think he's a great player and a good guy.

"There's never been any issue for me. It was a nice interview and the fact he spoke the way he did reinforces the type of person he is. I would shake his hand, no problem."

Almiron returns to Premier League action with Newcastle at Leicester City on Monday.

Liverpool are ready for a "new start" ahead of their return to action in the EFL Cup against Manchester City, assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said.

Jurgen Klopp's side endured a poor showing in the early months of the season, heading into the World Cup break sixth in the Premier League standings – seven points behind fourth place and 15 adrift of leaders Arsenal.

That left Liverpool among those needing a significant improvement heading into the remainder of the season, though Lijnders believes positive signs were shown ahead of the tournament in Qatar, with results including back-to-back wins against Tottenham and Southampton.

"We see it as a new start. The boys are hungry, they are passionate, they want to show this on the pitch," Lijnders said.

"We know we have to be committed. Against City there will be moments where it will not be easy, but all our boys have this experience. It will be a top show for sure.

"I think we were on our way back, to be honest, I felt that we got momentum, and then it was the World Cup. You have to take life as it is, a lot of things you cannot change, you have to make the best out of it.

"That's what we always tried to do, we used this time to not only train the lungs, the legs, the heart, but to train the eyes and the mind with video meetings.

"We know we can be successful, there are many things left to play for."

Liverpool and other sides competing in Europe have previously shuffled their deck for EFL Cup encounters, using them as an opportunity to hand experience to younger players within the squad, and Lijnders says the World Cup showed why rotation is key.

"If there's one thing this World Cup proves, it is that you need your whole squad. The teams that became successful needed their whole squad," he said.

"When we play League Cup it's always in a busy schedule, and we know we have to be top to win these games. We cannot rest players. The boys have to be on top in games, and it's a perfect time to use the squad.

"Age is just a number, we still believe we need to give our talents chances, not just younger players against lower-league oppositions but against Premier League sides too.

"We want them to have challenges and make them struggle because that's how they improve. It's my job and Klopp's job to improve our players and to improve the team, and that's what we try to do."

Pep Guardiola insisted a desire to win the Champions League was not his only motivation for signing a new Manchester City contract, but he accepts the job would feel incomplete without a European triumph.

Guardiola secured an extension at City last month, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season.

City have enjoyed vast domestic success under the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach, winning the Premier League four times out of the past five seasons.

However, a Champions League win has eluded them. They lost to Chelsea in the 2021 final and succumbed to Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.

Guardiola knows it will be a blemish on his record if City cannot end their bad luck in the competition before he leaves.

"I admit it's the trophy that we want and of course it would not be complete – my period here – if we don't win it," Guardiola told reporters ahead of City's EFL Cup clash with Liverpool.

"But it's not the only reason I extended the contract, absolutely not. What does it mean if for the last 11 months we didn't play in the Champions League?

"Of course, I will do everything in this time we are together, we are going to try, as we tried before. Of course it's the trophy we don't have and we will try to do it."

City's trophy count under Guardiola stands at 11, but the 51-year-old is immensely grateful for the faith shown in him by the club's leadership.

"I said many times what I had here. Thank you so much for the confidence they have in me," he said. "It would be difficult to repay what in these many years, the board, all the people have shown me.

"It's difficult for me to reject them because of how they still want me and my staff, to try and do our best.

"I don't have enough words to express the incredible gratitude for this club."

After taking on Liverpool on Thursday, City restart their Premier League campaign against Leeds United on December 28. 

Pep Guardiola believes Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the greatest player of all time, describing arguments in favour of Pele or Diego Maradona as "sentimental".

Messi has long been considered among the best ever, but both he and Cristiano Ronaldo trailed Pele and Maradona in the eyes of some while neither had won the World Cup.

That changed on Sunday, when Messi led Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, matching Maradona's achievement from 1986.

However, in the eyes of Manchester City manager Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona, there was never any doubt.

"Everyone has their opinion, but nobody can doubt he's there with the greatest of all time," Guardiola said. "For me, I've said many times: he's the best.

"It's difficult to understand how a player can complete what he's done in the past 50 or 70 years.

"The people who saw Pele or [Alfredo] Di Stefano or Maradona, the people can say 'my favourite', but these opinions are sentimental.

"On the other side, if he wouldn't have won the World Cup, the opinion about what he has done for the whole of football and my opinion of how he is as a player wouldn't change absolutely anything.

"But it's normal that it depends if you win [how] you are evaluated. Of course, for him, it's the final cherries on his incredible career."

Messi was joined in the Argentina side by City striker Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi, who spent five years at the Etihad Stadium between 2015 and 2020.

"We are incredibly happy for him [Alvarez] – congratulations," Guardiola added. "For him, for Nico Otamendi, personally for Messi, for Argentina the country, for a well-deserved champion.

"For Julian, he is with us, and we are delighted. He played a lot, and his contribution was amazing to the team for the way we played. We have a world champion in our team."

Guardiola confirmed Alvarez would now enjoy "a break", but City's other World Cup stars have started to return ahead of Thursday's EFL Cup fourth-round tie against holders Liverpool.

"The players that were at the World Cup are in a better condition than the players who were here, that's for sure," Guardiola explained.

"Sergio [Gomez], Erling [Haaland], Riyad [Mahrez], Cole [Palmer]... the rhythm they miss a little bit compared, for example, to Manu Akanji and Rodri and Aymeric [Laporte] and Nathan [Ake].

"They came back and we saw them so good, perfectly. That's normal. They compete, they train every day, while we had holidays."

Liverpool and Manchester City have sent a joint statement to fans of both clubs in an attempt to ease tensions.

The chief executives of the Premier League pair wrote a collaborative email to fans ahead of their EFL Cup fourth round tie at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

Liverpool and City's rivalry has developed in recent seasons as both teams have competed for league titles and various cups.

The Premier League clash at Anfield in October saw coins thrown at City boss Pep Guardiola by home fans, while City supporters could be heard singing songs related to the Hillsborough disaster in which 97 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed in 1989.

A meeting was held last month between officials and fan representatives of the clubs in an attempt to mend fences.

As a follow-up, a statement issued to fans on Tuesday by City CEO Ferran Soriano and his Liverpool counterpart Billy Hogan said: "We write to you today on behalf of both Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC, ahead of our Carabao Cup match at the Etihad Stadium later this week.

"As with any meeting between our clubs, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle of football and we are sure that you are all counting down to kick-off with much anticipation following the break in domestic football for the World Cup.

"The passion and enthusiasm that we see from our fans when we play each other – at the Etihad Stadium or Anfield – is part of what makes matches between our clubs so special, and we know you are committed to creating a stadium environment where everyone is welcomed, accepted and has a fantastic matchday experience.

"Regrettably, based on recent meetings between our clubs, we also know that a minority of fans are responsible for behaviours and actions that have no place in our game.

"We are therefore writing to ask for your full support in tackling these behaviours and to ensure that both of our clubs' good names are preserved. You can help us by reporting any incidents via the options at the bottom of this email so they can be investigated.

"We appreciate that some fans may not be aware of the impact of their behaviours on other fans, both inside and outside the stadium, and we will continue to work with our fans on this education.

"It is however important for everyone to be aware that we are fully committed to dealing with unacceptable behaviours and will take action by issuing bans to those found to be responsible.

"We have engaged the chairs from both our respective fan groups in our discussions and have their full backing to help create the right environment for our matches.

"If we all stand together to report the behaviours and actions that cause harm – including inappropriate gestures, chanting, throwing of objects, as well as any and all forms of discrimination – then we can all concentrate on supporting our teams.

"Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for your commitment to help eliminate unacceptable behaviours in football."

Andrea Pirlo was "very, very close" to signing for Real Madrid in 2006 and also held talks with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

Pirlo played for Milan between 2001 and 2011, winning two Serie A titles as well as a pair of Champions League trophies with the Italian giants.

But during this time, the Rossoneri were involved in the Calciopoli scandal as one of five teams accused of fixing Serie A matches.

This brought their future participation in Serie A and the Champions League into doubt as Pirlo won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, and a move to Santiago Bernabeu almost materialised.

The former midfielder told FourFourTwo: "We had just won the World Cup, but we didn't know what would happen.

"I was very, very close with Real Madrid. But then we got told that Milan could enter Champions League qualifying and be readmitted to Serie A.

"I was offered a new contract straight away and the club did a lot to keep me."

Pirlo also had discussions with Madrid's rivals Barcelona and head coach Guardiola in 2010. "He called me in [to his office after the game] and started talking about how he wanted to play and how he would like me to join his team," he recalled.

"For me, it was a source of pride, especially to talk to him and also to be compared to a Barcelona player. In the end, nothing happened, but being called by Guardiola into his office to talk was a wonderful experience."

Pirlo, now the head coach of Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, was wanted by English sides, too, with Chelsea one of those who tried to lure him away from Milan.

"Ancelotti asked me to go with him [to Chelsea]," the 43-year-old said. "The two teams talked about it with my agent, and there was a big chance.

"But in the end, when it was time to sign the contract, Silvio Berlusconi [then Milan owner] and Adriano Galliani [CEO] didn't want me to go."

Manchester City also tried to unsuccessfully bring Pirlo to the Premier League before he eventually joined Juventus, where he stayed for four years before ending his career with MLS franchise New York City FC.

"I spoke with Juventus, with Roberto Mancini's Manchester City and with other big teams," he explained. "But in the end, I decided to go to Turin because they had a good project to get back to winning ways.

"They had just gone through some tough years, but they had a new stadium and were building a new Juve, where I would be an important player, so I decided to go there."

Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City are reportedly the three leading candidates to land prized RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol after his excellent World Cup for Croatia.

Gvardiol, 20, has emerged as one of the top young centre-backs in the world after breaking into Leipzig's starting XI last season, and with 19 senior caps for Croatia under his belt already, he is well established on the international stage.

Having been signed from Dinamo Zagreb for €16million in 2020, that deal has proven to be a bargain, but it remains to be seen if Leipzig feel it is good business to part ways with their young star with four more years remaining on his contract.

TOP STORY - EUROPE'S TOP CLUBS CIRCLE CROATIA'S ROCK IN DEFENSE

Gvardiol may feel his future does not lie in Leipzig, but with his contract tying him to the club until 2027, he has no leverage in negotiations.

According to The Mirror, Chelsea have been planning a raid on Leipzig for months and would like to bring Gvardiol across with Christopher Nkunku, who they are said to have already secured in a future deal.

That report states Madrid are hoping to place a bid at the end of the season, but Chelsea have a January move in mind, although with Leipzig only six points off the Bundesliga summit they will likely need a stunning offer to force their hand mid-season.

That offer could come from City, who The Sun believes are preparing a €110m bid that would make Gvardiol the most expensive defender in history.

ROUND-UP

– Sky Sports is reporting Chelsea and Liverpool are closely monitoring 21-year-old Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, who was a standout for Ecuador at the World Cup.

– According to Foot Mercato, Fiorentina and Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is pushing for a move to Liverpool.

– Sky Sports Germany believes Manchester United will not renew the contract of goalkeeper David De Gea and will look for a replacement at the end of the season.

– Manchester United are looking to sign 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram in January, per Sport Bild.

– The Daily Mail is reporting West Ham will pursue a loan deal for United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka in January.

Pep Guardiola made it clear he is not happy with Manchester City's schedule after the World Cup.

City defeated Girona 2-0 in a friendly on Saturday, with Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland getting the goals.

The pair were two of four outfield players among City's first-team regulars, along with Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, to have started the match.

Reserve goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and back-up left-back Sergio Gomez also featured from the off, but the rest of the squad was made up of academy players.

City face Liverpool in the EFL Cup last 16 on Thursday, before taking on Leeds United and Everton on December 28 and 31 respectively in the Premier League, and Guardiola claimed he did not yet have enough players to prepare for the festive fixture list.

"We have four players – five players," Guardiola told City's official media channel.

"We have to see how they are coming back [from the World Cup]. We don't have players. The big brains of football made this schedule so we are going to play this game."

City had plenty of representation in Qatar, though De Bruyne and Gundogan had returned after early exits for Belgium and Germany respectively.

Aymeric Laporte and Rodri were knocked out in the last 16 with Spain and will return next week, while England internationals Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips, along with Portugal trio Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, as well as Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, are also set to join back up with the squad soon.

"Some players coming back now, in the next few days, step by step we have the people here," Guardiola added.

"People are coming back soon. After that the English players and Portuguese – they're coming back."

Indeed, despite being one of the best teams in world football, City have only one player who will be competing in the final between Argentina and France on Sunday.

Julian Alvarez has been one of Argentina's best performers in Qatar, scoring four goals, including twice in their semi-final win over Croatia.

"All of us are really happy for him," said Guardiola.