Manchester City

We asked for your views on Julian Alvarez' stellar World Cup campaign.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Andrew: Julian Alvarez has looked great since he arrived and is now globally visible in Qatar. He will play in a two up top with Erling Haaland, especially against high-line defences, sometimes alternating as solo number nines and sometimes Alvarez wide left with Phil Foden as a central attacking midfielder. Super Jack Grealish is now surplus or a luxury sub to win free kicks or run down the clock.

Bill: It certainly was a great bit of business by city to bring in Alvarez. His potential is huge and in Pep Guardiola he has the perfect coach to nurture that talent. The trouble is at City, with so many talented players, game time could be a problem when keeping him happy.

Sue: Alvarez is too good to serve as back up to Haaland. Guardiola needs to find a way to play them together.

Portugal forward Joao Felix, 23, is being offered to Premier League clubs as he seeks to leave Atletico Madrid in January, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa potential destinations. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Julian Alvarez starred for Argentina as they beat Croatia 3-0 to reach the World Cup final.

• Alvarez has scored four goals at World Cup 2022, becoming only the second Argentina player to score four goals at a single edition of the World Cup while aged 22 or under after Gonzalo Higuaín in 2010 (4 goals).

• Alvarez (22y-316d) was the youngest player to score multiple goals in a World Cup semi-final since Pelé (17y-244d) netted a hat-trick in Brazil's 5-2 win against France in 1958.

• Alvarez has scored seven goals in eight starts for Argentina.

So what will happen when he returns to Manchester City? Is the young striker becoming more than an Erling Haaland understudy? Tell us here

Manchester City's Norway striker Erling Haaland, 22, is no longer on Real Madrid's list of future targets with Brazilian forward Endrick, 16, having agreed to join them from Palmeiras in 2024. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola has been linked with the vacant Brazil job, although Carlo Ancelotti seems the favourite to replace Tite after the Selecao's World Cup exit.

South American football expert Tim Vickery says Guardiola put himself forward for the job in the past.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Guardiola threw his hat in the ring exactly a decade ago.

"In 2012 he was on a sabbatical at the time they sacked Mano Menezes and Guardiola let it be known that he would take the job in the build-up to the 2014 World Cup.

"They rushed to get in Luiz Felipe Scolari as quickly as they could but a decade down the line there isn’t an obvious or non-obvious Brazilian candidate to take over.

"There is much more talk coming out of Brazil at the moment on Ancelotti rather than Guardiola."

Hear more from 41'30 on BBC Sounds

Manchester City have submitted an offer for 20-year-old Croatia international Josko Gvardiol - as have Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United - while Bayern Munich are also interested in the RB Leipzig defender. (Foot Mercato - in French, external)

The Brazilian Football Federation plans to contact Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to find out if he would be interested in becoming national team manager at the end of the season. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester

Those Manchester City players who didn't get to the World Cup had a couple of weeks off and are now in Abu Dhabi for some warm weather training - the likes of Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez, Stefan Ortega and Rico Lewis.

For some of City's first-team players there were early exits. Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium and Ilkay Gundogan's Germany both crashed out in the group stage.

That was followed at the start of the week by Spain's exit meaning Rodri and Aymeric Laporte won't be staying in Qatar for the final on 18 December.

But when do they return to club action?

Those out in the group stage will return to action next week (week beginning the 12 December). Those out in the last 16 will return a week later (from the 19th).

Manchester City still have 11 players in Qatar across the eight teams in the quarter-finals - they'll all be hoping they don't have to arrange a return date with their club until after Christmas.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham will tell Borussia Dortmund that he wants to leave the club after the World Cup and the 19-year-old's father would like his son to move to Liverpool. Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in the player. (Sport Bild, via Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Kalvin Phillips admits he has on times been "a bit down" in training during his battle back to fitness from injury.

The 27-year-old - signed for £42m by Manchester City from Leeds in the summer - has played just four domestic games this season due to a shoulder injury.

He has played twice for England at the World Cup and when asked how he has coped with a lack of match action, said: "Just with the people around me to be honest and seeing my family as well. That has been a big boost.

"It is the lads who I have trained with every day, particularly the ones that haven't played as much that have kept me going.

"I have been a bit down in training a couple of times, because I felt like I could have played or I wanted to be on the pitch and it didn't happen. They've always had their arm around me and helped me a little bit.

"I have been a lot happier since getting back into camp. The lads have been great with me. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and the little role you can play to help the lads progress."

Former England defender Stephen Warnock says Kyle Walker "will back himself 100%" to deal with France's Kylian Mbappe in the Three Lions' World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

Mbappe, 23, is the tournament's leading scorer with five goals in four games and is regarded as one of the stars of the tournament.

"What you took out of that interview is that he [Walker] is so focused on the job at hand," Warnock told the World Cup Daily podcast.

"When Walker knows someone is equal speed to him he adapts his game.

"If he is running against someone not as quick he knows he can get away with it. He knows he doesn't need to be as switched on at times.

"Whereas when he plays someone like an Mbappe who has that high-end speed and ability his focus changes in the game.

"It will be very interesting to see how exactly he takes the battle on but he will back himself 100%."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Kyle Walker has signalled his intent to remain in the international fold beyond the Qatar World Cup.

The England right-back, 32, has 72 caps for the Three Lions and is likely to start his second World Cup quarter-final on Saturday against France.

"I'm a guy that takes a game at a time. I don't really look towards the future. I will go as long as possible, for myself, my family, my nation," he said.

"I feel really fit, energetic and I want to achieve more. The hunger is still there so it's not going to happen anytime soon. But it will come to an end eventually.

"In 2024, I'll be 34. As long as I'm performing well and the manager picks me then we will see."

On the challenge of stopping France's Kylian Mbappe, Walker added: "I've come up against some of the best players in the world but I have to treat it just as another game. You have to give him respect but not too much.

"Yes it will be a tough game but a team cannot just be about one person.

"I'm not going to roll out a red carpet for him and tell him to score. It's a World Cup, it's do or die.

"I'm not going home so I'm not going to let him ruin that for my family."

Manchester United are out of the race to sign England midfielder Jude Bellingham, 19, from Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are the front runners. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester

After a couple of weeks off since the Premier League paused for the World Cup, those who haven't been to Qatar are linking up in Abu Dhabi for a bit of warm-weather training.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has taken the likes Stefan Oretga, Scott Carson, Riyad Mahrez and Erling Haaland to the Middle East with some members of the EDS team too.

Players such as Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, who are now out of the World Cup following the exits of Belgium and Germany respectively, will be allowed a little downtime with family before joining up with the squad at a later date.

AC Milan are hopeful 23-year-old Portugal forward Rafael Leao, who has been linked with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, will sign a new contract with the Serie A side. (Calciomercato, via Football Italia), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column