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West Ham dipped into the Championship last summer to snap up two of it’s most prodigious talents – Diego Poyet and Aaron Cresswell – and they look set to do the same in the coming transfer window, amid reports the East London club are targeting Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson, as claimed by Mirror Football.

The 23 year-old’s 20 league goals have all-but-mathematically-confirmed The Cherries’ promotion to the Premier League for next season, and left him third in the Championship’s scoring charts.

Whether Bournemouth would be prepared to sell their key striker ahead of their first ever Premier League campaign, or whether Wilson would actually want to ditch them at this moment in time, remains to be seen.

But laced with equally promising, youthful prospects, the Hammers would be wise to further scour the English second tier for potential summer targets.

And just to prove it, Football Fancast have listed FIVE Championship prodigies West Ham should target along with Bournemouth’s latest star.

TYRONE MINGS

With rumours rife Aaron Cresswell could be snapped up by Chelsea in a £20million deal, West Ham could find themselves in need of a new left-back this summer – and no Championship No.3 epitomises their physical style better than monolithic Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings.

Indeed, the 22-year-old is better famed for his blistering pace and willingness to contribute going forward, this term bagging four assists in 39 Championship appearances whilst averaging 1.2 successful dribbles and 1.4 created chances per-match, but he’s also blessed with the imposing frame of a Premier League centre-half, measuring in at a whopping 6 foot 5.

He was valued at £8million by The Daily Mail in December amid rumoured interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. But neither club made a formal offer in January, suggesting the Hammers could pick up where the Premier League powerhouses left off this summer – especially if The Tractor Boys miss out on promotion to the top flight.

NATHAN REDMOND

With Matthew Jarvis hopelessly out of form, Enner Valencia a more natural centre-forward and Stewart Downing proving himself more accomplished in central capacities, West Ham have been without a genuine winger for much of the season.

Enter Norwich City’s Nathan Redmond, a pacey touchline-hugger equally comfortable on both flanks who’s claimed three goals and ten assists in 42 Championship appearances this term.

The 21-year-old has also averaged an impressive 2.4 chances created, 1.8 accurate crosses and 2.3 successful dribbles per match – the latter statistic being the third-best return in the entire division.

Also boasting 10 goals and 57 caps for England across the junior levels, Redmond’s potential is without doubt – which is why The Canaries rejected a £5million bid from Southampton last summer, as reported by Mirror Football.

Should fourth-place Norwich miss out on promotion back to the Premier League this season, however, they’ll likely be forced to sell the prodigious wideman.

DAN BURN

Dan Burn might not be blessed with the same natural talent as some of the other names on this list – or for that matter, some of the other youngsters to have represented Fulham this season.

But measuring in at a gigantic 6 foot 7, the centre-back is an incredible force in the air, this term averaging 4.5 successful aerial duels per match alongside 2 tackles and 2.1 interceptions, rendering him already capable of having some impact at Premier League level.

And still just 22-years of age, the capacity is certainly there for Burn to learn on the job. If he can improve the rest of his skills over the next few years, whilst gaining top flight experience, he’ll emerge as one of the better centre-backs in the division.

West Ham were linked with a £4million bid ahead of the January window, as reported by The Daily Mail, only for Fulham boss Kit Symons to issue an ever-cliched hands-off warning.

With Fulham now set to spend another term in the Championship, however, they might be more willing to cash in on their monolithic defender this summer.

JOE GOMEZ

One of just four 17 year-olds to have featured in the Championship this season yet boasting an impressive 16 league starts, Charlton Athletic’s Joe Gomez’s recent performances have caught the attention of Arsenal and Manchester City, according to The Daily Mail.

The youthful defender is speedy and agile, comparable in style to a young Rio Ferdinand, and in addition to impressing at The Valley has also made waves within the England fold; he’s racked up 25 caps for The Junior Lions, and in May 2014 was named in the Team of the Tournament for the U17 European Championships.

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Having already shown great promise in the English second tier, Gomez seems destined for Premier League football at some point in his career. It’s believed Sir Alex Ferguson was also courting him for Manchester United until his retirement in summer 2013.

Despite such interest from the Premier League’s summit, Charlton’s apparent valuation of £8million should be well within West Ham’s financial reach this summer. And whilst Arsenal, City or United could offer Gomez the glamour of a ridiculous salary, closer locality and greater first team opportunities give the Hammers a more unique appeal.

ALEX PRITCHARD

Technically not a Championship player, but it remains to be seen if room can be found for Alex Pritchard in a Tottenham midfield already bursting with prodigious talent.

The 21-year-old is certainly an impressive prospect, however. Last season he claimed six goals on loan at Swindon Town in League One and he’s added to that this year with eleven goals and seven assists in 44 appearances for Brentford – earning him a spot in the Championship’s Team of the Season.

Pritchard offers a solid contribution to all-round play, this term averaging 1.7 tackles, 3 shots, 2.5 chances created, 1.1 successful dribbles and 1.3 accurate crosses per match, but the attacking midfielder’s defining gift undoubtedly remains his incredible potency from dead ball situations.

He’s probably not at Premier League level just yet but would be a wise addition for the Hammers with the next few years in mind.

That being said, Spurs’ rejected Brentford’s attempts to sign him permanently in January, as reported by The Daily Mail, so it might take an unjustifiable bid to convince them to sell in the coming transfer window.

Chris Brunt will be missing from the West Brom side against Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday because of a knee injury.

The 28-year-old Northern Ireland international midfielder picked up a knee injury during last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Newcastle at the Hawthorns and Baggies boss Steve Clarke confirmed that he will not be ready for the Saints trip.

“He’s not going to make it this week and it is fingers crossed for next week,” he said on the club’s website.

Full-back Billy Jones, who scored Albion’s second-half equaliser against the Magpies last week, is also struggling because of a gashed leg he suffered during the game, but Clarke is hoping he will make it.

Youssouf Mulumbu is still suspended, while Clarke also revealed that youngsters Isaiah Brown and Kemar Roofe are also missing due to injury.

However, controversial striker Peter Odemwingie, who scored both goals when West Brom defeated the Saints 2-0 earlier in the season, is set to return to the fold following a two-game absence with a knee injury.

Academy product Donervorn Daniels is set to be one of two youngsters who will be included in the squad for the trip to the south coast.

Meanwhile, loan striker Romelu Lukaku is warning his Baggies team-mates to expect a much tougher game than the home fixture back in November.

He said: “Southampton are playing very good football. I saw the game they played [2-0 win] against Reading.

“They are playing differently to the way they played at the start of the season. At the beginning of the season there was a lot of space to play, now there isn’t.

“They are very close and when they lose the ball they press to recover the ball in six seconds all the time.

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“They are dangerous up front in Lambert especially and Rodriguez, who is scoring a lot. It will not be easy but it’s up to us, we have our own qualities.

“I think they will really get at us but we have to react and take the initiative to win the game. The first goal will be really important.”

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As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has discussed his first team plans for Chelsea loanee Charly Musonda, with the player finding his game time limited since moving in January.

What’s the story?

Musonda has made just three starts and eight appearances in total since making the switch from Stamford Bridge to Celtic Park during the last transfer window, leaving some Hoops fans wondering why he is not being utilised.

However, Brendan Rodgers is relaxed about his situation at the club, believing he has plenty of time to settle in and make an impact on the Hoops first team.

As quoted by The Daily Record, the Celtic boss said:

It’s a different type of loan for Charly compared to when he went to Spain and had to succeed straight away. Here he has 18 months to settle in, find the way of working and realising the pressures of a big club.

But he’s enjoying every minute of it and he knows that over time here that he will get an opportunity to show it in training where he works well and then in the games. It’s just time, that’s all.

He’s absolutely fine. He’s here for the 18 months and by the end of that he knows he is going to be a better player.

It’ll be pleasing for fans to hear he is very much in Rodgers’ plans, but can the player break into a starting eleven with players like Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and James Forrest ahead of him?

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Massive goal contributions

Scott Sinclair has been criticised this season for failing to reach the standard he set at the club last term, but he’s still contributed massively to Celtic’s season, scoring 17 goals and assisting 17 times more.

Similarly, James Forrest has shown plenty of end product this term with 16 goals and eight assists.

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With 58 direct goal contributions between the two players, it’ll be difficult for Musonda to come and produce on a consistent basis ahead of them, despite his obvious natural ability and the excitement he generates amongst supporters.

Still, he came to Celtic Park to get match action and it’s clear from Rodgers’ words that he will get that in time. As he showed against FC Zenit, he can be a spark in the final third and that’s something that fans can look forward to.

From the first kick of all the ball – and presumably whenever they’ve seen him out and about in London during the week – Arsenal fans have been booing their former captain, Cesc Fabregas.

After Arsene Wenger’s rejected bringing back the Spanish international from Barcelona in the summer, the midfielder committed the second biggest sin to an Arsenal fan and joined Jose Mourinho over in west London at Chelsea.

Ever since then, Fabregas has become enemy No.1 for all Gooners – and he probably didn’t help things by bagging a delightful assist in the first meeting between these two sides earlier in the season.

In what has been a pulsating opening half an hour or so at the Emirates, we’ve seen Chelsea have Oscar’s neat chip headed off the line and a couple of penalty shouts for the boys in the Blue. However, one of those penalty claims was nothing more than a deceitful dive, according to the man with the cards, that is.

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Michael Oliver opted to book Fabregas – although replays suggest it may well have been a harsh call – much to the delight of every single Arsenal fan in all corners of the globe…

If the feeling around Lewis Holtby’s arrival at Tottenham Hotspur back in January was one of anticipation, then nearly two months on, it’s now perhaps one of curiosity amongst the Lilywhites’ support.

The 22-year-old German international came to White Hart Lane amongst a cascade of fanfare eight weeks ago, but where as many might have expected the former-Schalke man to be a prominent presence in Spurs’ push down the Premier League’s home straight, he’s remained more upon the periphery, rather than the forefront.

And as Andre Villas-Boas’ side’s recent hiccup in form threatens to turn into a far more sinister wobble, Holtby’s absence from the side in recent games hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Portuguese has come under fire from some for perceived tactical naivety in the defeats against both Internazionale and Fulham, but for as frustrated as fans were with the way the team was set up, it was Villas-Boas’ reluctance to play Holtby that particularly rankled.

But for as frustrating as it may be to see Holtby’s adaptation to English football progress at more of a walking pace rather than a rate of knots, supporters must be keen to not let the hype surrounding the German cloud their judgements. His integration into both this Spurs side and Premier League football is a marathon, not a sprint.

Following his initial burst of appearances in a white shirt, supporters can perhaps be forgiven for scratching their heads in regard to the lack of game time that Holtby has recently been afforded.

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His cameos against both Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion away may not have been ground breaking, but in both occasions on his first two outings for the club, Holtby managed to wield a considerable impact. Certainly, he showed enough to whet the appetites of supporters even further, with his exhibition of crisp one-touch passing and positive furrows forward.

Although while impressing in bursts is all well and good, it’s maintaining an impact from kick-off that’s been a slightly tougher nut to crack for Holtby. During starts against Newcastle United and the away leg against Lyon in the Europa League, despite not playing particularly poor, he naturally looked like a man still trying to find his feet within this Spurs side.

But if supporters were in any need of a reminder of the patience needed within Holtby’s adaptation, the 3-2 win away at West Ham United last month, offered something of a reality check to a hype machine that had perhaps got a little carried away in the preceding weeks.

Holtby suffered a tough time against a steely, powerful and unrelenting Hammers midfield that refused to allow the Spurs midfield a second on the ball. It’s easy to revert to stereotype in this circumstance, but a London derby in the East End is a long way away from the technically infused battles that Holtby had been puppeteering back at the Vetlins Arena in the Bundesliga.

It’s going to take time for Holtby to be able to consistently apply his gifts within this league and just because he’s made his move mid-season, it doesn’t mean that he should be instantly expected to hit the ground running.

The counter-argument is of course that Lewis Holtby isn’t going to adapt to the rigors of English football by sitting on the bench, but it was within the success of his substitution on that night at Upton Park, that you understand how difficult it is for Villas-Boas to afford the German the game time he needs.

Gylfi Sigurdsson has been a player that’s also been in desperate need of game time and a run of starts all season, but up until recent games, that simply hasn’t happened. Yet the Icelandic international couldn’t have done more than what he did coming off the bench against West Ham to gain a start and for as much as Holtby needs game time, Villas-Boas has to remain fair.

Dropping Holtby for Sigurdsson in the North London derby was a tough, but ultimately correct decision and the way in which the former-Swansea loanee has reacted to his run in the side has wholly vindicated Villas-Boas’ selection. Had Sigurdsson not taken his chance against West Ham, maybe Holtby wouldn’t have been sitting on the bench so much in recent games.

But the fact is that he did and the problem for Villas-Boas is that he has the task of trying to carefully ease his new signing’s introduction into English football, while fighting an increasingly bitter battle for success on two fronts. Lewis Holtby is only going to get better by clocking up more time in the league, but Spurs aren’t in a position where they can afford any players an induction process.

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And it’s within the timing of his switch from Schalke, that we understand why the club wasn’t initially in any rush to make bring forward a transfer originally penned in for the summer.

Far from the suggestions of penny-pinching towards the chairman Daniel Levy, the fact is there was a reason the club originally wanted him in June as opposed to January and it had little to do with a £1.5million outlay. As his three starts in two months suggest, he arrived at the club during an incredibly difficult part of the season to bed into.

With eight games remaining and Spurs’ lead over fifth-placed Arsenal now down to four points with one more game played, when Holtby does get his chance to restart his process of acclimatization within this league, he’s going to do so under massive pressure.

And this is something supporters most bear in mind when running the rule over their new German acquisition. Regardless of how he fares up until May, next season will be the one in which Lewis Holtby should be measured up against.

Newcastle further boosted their chances of pulling off a top half finish this season by dishing out yet another away defeat for Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Sunday. The Gunners went ahead first when Alexandre Lacazette found the net, but the home side quickly hit back through Ayoze Perez, who also finished the match with an assist to his name after playing through Matt Ritchie for the winner.

However, we recently asked Newcastle fans to issue individual performance ratings out of ten for those involved in Sunday’s 2-1 win and according to our poll, there were two players who impressed the Toon Army more than the goalscoring Spaniard. Here’s a rundown of the three players who received the highest average ratings…

Ayoze Perez – 8.1/10: He grabbed a goal and an assist but it appears Newcastle fans weren’t completely overawed with Perez’s performance against the Gunners – perhaps because the diminutive forward has a knack of drifting in and out of games, or perhaps because he started Sunday’s outing somewhat slowly until finding the net. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old has been in great form recently, silencing the doubters of previous seasons.

Jonjo Shelvey – 8.6/10: Shelvey’s continuously improving form has been at the heart of Newcastle’s uplift in results lately and Sunday’s showing was another impressive performance from the England international. His direct passes forward were crucial in launching Newcastle attacks and the former Liverpool midfielder offered plenty off the ball as well – making two tackles, four interceptions and four clearances.

Mohamed Diame – 9.1/10: Shelvey’s form wouldn’t be quite so impressive right now without such an energetic and dynamic force alongside him in Mohamed Diame, who provided something that’s needed in any game against the Gunners – real fight and grit in midfield. The Senegalese finished up with five tackles and five interceptions to his name, the most of any Newcastle player on both fronts.

View the results in full below…

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After slipping to a seventh consecutive league defeat just 10 days ago, Aston Villa looked to be in real danger of losing their status as a Premier League side. Occupying a bottom three spot, with just Leicester below them, the prospect of relegation beckoned.

A lack of goals and dull football, forced the club to sack Paul Lambert in search of a change in fortunes. Tim Sherwood was the man tasked to turn things around at Villa Park and save them from the drop – and already this decision looks to have paid off.

A week is a long time in football, and this has once again proved to be the case with Aston Villa. Two vital victories over city rivals West Brom has galvanised the club and appears to have revitalised both players and fans.

The relief was clear to see after Christian Benteke stuck away a last-gasp penalty with supreme confidence following a calamitous error from Ben Foster in the West Brom goal. Just like the fans and players alike, Sherwood celebrated as if it were a cup final, and it certainly had the feel of it.

The victory lifted them out of the bottom three, giving them a three-point cushion from those sides below them. Stopping the rot was one thing, but the manner of the victory boosted everyone around the club, and should provide them with the confidence to kick on and beat the drop.

And this confidence was taken into the second of a double header against West Brom as they booked a date at Wembley and a FA Cup semi final clash with either Liverpool or Blackburn. Another improved performance, with Villa netting another two goals, and although it’s early days – Tim Sherwood’s arrival seems to be having the required effect.

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Another pleasing aspect of the victory was the way in which new recruit Scott Sinclair took his goal. Since arriving at the club in January on a loan deal from Manchester City, the winger is hungrier than ever to make his mark as he looks to get his career back on track.

He certainly has the right manager in place to ensure his confidence is fully restored, and early signs look good with two goals already. If Sinclair can recreate the level of performance that made City take notice during his time at Swansea, Villa can really benefit.

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A league and cup victory in the space of a week certainly won’t ensure survival, and there’s no hiding the fact there is still plenty of work still to be done. But the past 10 days may well prove the turning point as Villa strive for survival and build a platform for a better campaign next season.

Under Sherwood, they are perfectly capable of picking up a few more wins to climb the table, and the quality within their squad should ensure just that. With the potential of a cup final in May, the next couple of months may well help to put a positive complexion on a disappointing season.

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Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers won’t have been best pleased this week, particularly for someone that prides themselves on their relations with the media, that both Martin Skrtel and Luis Suarez, for different reasons, have divulged their thoughts to the press precisely at a time when the whole side needs to present a united front down the home straight.

With just 11 Premier League games left to go until the end of the season, Liverpool sit in eighth place in the table, ten points adrift of Chelsea in fourth place but with a relatively kind fixture list left to come, they must still retain hopes of clinching a place in Europe for next term even if it’s the Europa League as opposed to the preferred pipedream of the Champions League.

Nevertheless, with Bayern Munich circling around the team’s star performer this year, Uruguayan international Suarez, that he’s chosen to bat his eyelids at their overtures so brazenly points to a likely transfer saga in the summer, with the club battling to hold on to him, while Skrtel has unwisely chosen to air his dirty linen in public over a lack of playing time.

Is is thought that Pep Guardiola, Bayern’s incoming new manager for next season, has placed Suarez right at the top of his wishlist in the summer and is willing to use his brother Pere, who represents both parties, to try and help broker a deal, which would likely have to be around the £40million mark to even tempt Liverpool.

Of course, the only questions that Suarez will field from reporters now are about his future, and like a dog with a bone, they won’t let it go no matter how many times he attempts to convey his happiness at Anfield, but there’s been a noticeable softening in his stance of late and there’s real concern that he has had his head turned now.

The 26-year-old told reporters this week: “If Bayern Munich makes an offer I would certainly be willing to listen and think about it. It doesn’t mean I will definitely leave, it just means that I will not automatically reject other clubs.”

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In all honesty, playing for the German champions under Guardiola for a side truly capable of competing regularly for top honours each and every season on the continent is a difficult offer to turn down, but this is the sort of statement that can only lead to more questions in the future and it’s simply inviting pressure.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old centre-back Skrtel has taken to the media to try and get across his dismay that he has fallen behind both Daniel Agger and the retiring Jamie Carragher in the pecking order recently, but it really is as simple as this – if he had been playing well enough, he wouldn’t have been dropped in the first place, but a series of sloppy errors, and a terrible performance against Oldham in the FA Cup appear to have sealed his fate under Rodgers and it would be no surprise if he was moved on at the end of the season now.

Skrtel told Denik Sport this week about his concerns: “We have (spoken) but it is not ideal. He (Rodgers) told me something on this, gave me some explanation, but it’s hard to tell if it was the true reason he gave me.

“I don’t think it was and think there is something else behind it. Anyway, I’m not the type of player who would be chasing the coach and be in his office all the time, asking for explanations why I’m not playing. I have never done this, I’m not doing it now and I never will be.

“If the coach wants to tell me something, he will summon me. The coach has his ideas about the line-up and the question is if I would be in it if I was fit. I would say it’s likelier I wouldn’t. For three years at Liverpool I was playing in almost every match and even in the national team I have played a lot of games. I have had various thoughts but certainly I’m not going to make any hot-blooded decision.”

Considering the faith that Rodgers has placed in him all season despite him being well short of his best, alongside Agger, both as a collective and on an individual basis they have been extremely poor, especially when you take into account that the side is currently going through a phase of transition and needs to rely on the more experienced members of the squad while the younger players have been blooded in.

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He has been a regular all term aside from the last month or so but players are fickle beasts and only think about themselves week to week and were Rodgers to reverse his decision and throw him straight back into the starting XI, he would quickly change his tune. He simply hasn’t adapted to the team’s new style of play this year at all and despite thinly-veiled threats that he would consider a move to either Zenit St Petersburg or Anzhi Makhachkala in the near future, now may be the time to call his bluff.

The longer the club sits outside the promised land of the Champions League, the harder it is going to be to continue to hold on to some of the more recognised and seasoned international players within the squad, but by being so public with their respective agendas, they’ve not only damaged their own causes, they’ve threatened to undermine the manager at a crucial time of the campaign and the less said to the press between now and May, the better.

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There has been an ongoing joke for some time about the relationship between Southampton and Liverpool.

Over the years, the Merseyside outfit have purchased a handful of Saints’ players.

Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk are among the pack that have vacated St Mary’s to move to Anfield.

Whenever a new player signs for the coastal club, it does not take long for football fans to joke that in a few years, said player will join Liverpool.

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On Wednesday night, Southampton supporters witnessed three of their former players – Lovren, Van Dijk and Mane – put one foot into the semi-finals of the Champions League thanks to the Reds’ 3-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield.

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The trio could be extended to a quartet if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is included, as the midfielder developed his game with the Saints before joining Arsenal for a six-year spell.

Once it dawned on Southampton supporters that their former players could potentially go all the way in the Champions League, many took to Twitter.

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City for a fee of £25million – a number that could even rise to around £28million depending on certain clauses with the striker signing a contract which will keep him at the club until 2019, Skysports reports.

With the 26-year-old currently travelling with his Ivory Coast squad for the Africa Cup of Nations he will complete his switch and join up with his new team upon his return back to England.

WANT MORE? >> Manchester City Transfer News | Swansea City Transfer News

Bony told the club’s official website: “It’s a great feeling for me, it’s a big honour to be here and it’s a great challenge.

“As a player it’s always good to be part of one of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s a good opportunity for me to be in that situation now – I’m really proud.

“I felt excited to wait for this moment and now it’s come, it’s fantastic.”

In addition to this, he even admitted that he has talked with Yaya Toure, who is now his teammate on both the international level as well as club level, on how he can fit in with his new squad prior to his move to the Etihad.

“I speak with Yaya every day on international duty and I think he will help me to become a better player and a more clinical striker.

“I’ll be playing with great players here at City and this is an opportunity for me to work hard and to take my chance.”

The striker made 20 Premier League appearances so far, scoring nine goals with City boss Manuel Pellegrini revealing his praise for his new attacker as he is keen to see all his forwards working together.

“He is very difficult to mark because he is so strong. He is an intelligent footballer who has skill and power,” the Chilean said.

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“His goals record has been excellent since he came to England. He adapted very quickly to the game here and I think he will settle in at City quickly.”

Pellegrini also broached the subject of his wealth of attacking talent adding that he is looking forward to seeing the club’s four top class strikers playing and working together.

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