Thierry Henry believes Harry Kane would have been a better fit at Manchester City than Erling Haaland.
Norway striker Haaland has scored a phenomenal 31 goals in 29 games since joining from Borussia Dortmund, including 25 in 21 Premier League games.
But some pundits have suggested the total sum of City's parts is weaker than in previous seasons due to Haaland's arrival, with Pep Guardiola's side having trailed leaders Arsenal for most of the campaign.
Tottenham striker Kane, Haaland's nearest rival in the Golden Boot race with 17, was previously linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium but a move failed to materialise before the 2021-22 campaign.
Arsenal great Henry, speaking as a pundit on CBS, believes Kane's all-round game would have been a better fit for Pep Guardiola's system than Haaland.
When asked if he would prefer Kane in his side over the prolific Haaland, Henry said: "I would say that if I had to build a team to win.
"For example, I thought Man City were going to go for Harry Kane. We all know they wanted him but I thought they were going to come back in.
"I thought he is the typical striker for city. I think it would've been better.
"He became complete, he became an all-around player and this is what I like about him.
"We all know what he can do and all know what he can do in the box, but what he does outside of the box now for his team this is something that I have to respect massively. He became for me, over the last two, three years, a complete striker."
Henry believes the arrival of Haaland has made City easier to play against because teams know the gameplan will be to hit their star striker early.
"We all know when Kevin De Bruyne has the ball he can find him," he added.
"There was one piece of advice that Arsene Wenger gave me that stayed with me, he said: 'What can you do when your team is not feeding you?'
"I think he did stop what they were about. They had a certain way of playing. I think they are more predictable."
City face Arsenal in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, with the Gunners three points clear having played a game less.
Jude Bellingham to become the eighth Brit to play for Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham looks set to become a Real Madrid player after the Spanish club agreed an £88.5million fee with Borussia Dortmund.
The England international will join a small but esteemed set of British players to play for Los Blancos.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at those players from these shores to have played at the Bernabeu.
Laurie CunninghamEngland international Cunningham was the trailblazer for those that followed him after becoming the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid after signing from West Brom in 1979. The left winger brought plenty of excitement to the fans and after scoring on his debut, went on to win the league and cup double in his first season. His time at the Bernabeu was hampered by injuries and he left to join Marseille in 1984, having scored 20 goals in 66 appearances. He was sadly killed six years later in a car crash, aged just 33, while playing for Raya Vallecano.
Steve McManaman (1999-2003)View this post on InstagramTwenty years after Cunningham, Steve McManaman followed as he joined from Liverpool. The floppy-haired winger played in one of the great Madrid teams alongside the likes of Raul, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane, winning two LaLiga titles and two Champions League titles, scoring in the 2000 final against Valencia. He made over 150 appearances and moved to Manchester City in 2003, where he spent two years before retiring in 2005.
David Beckham (2003-2007)View this post on InstagramAlready a global superstar, David Beckham’s footballing image went to the next level when he signed for Madrid in 2003. Although his time in the Spanish capital was not the silverware haul he enjoyed at Manchester United, winning just one league title, he was a fan favourite. He made 155 appearances, scored 20 goals and notched 59 assists before moving to LA Galaxy in 2007.
Michael Owen (2005-2006)View this post on InstagramGiven Michael Owen’s relationship with Beckham for the England national team, an £8million move for the striker seemed good business in 2005. But Owen never really took off in Madrid and spent the majority of his one season at the club on the bench. He was able to score when he was on the pitch, most memorably a fine goal in a 4-2 win over Barcelona. He left for Newcastle in 2006.
Jonathan Woodgate (2005-07)The fact that Woodgate has been voted as Real Madrid’s worst signing of the 21st century by readers of a Spanish newspaper tells you how his time at the club went. He joined Owen in swapping England for Spain in the summer of 2004 but was injured at the time and did not make an appearance until September 2005. That went about as well as expected as he scored an own goal and was sent off. He managed just 14 appearances in three years due to more injury woe and he left the Bernabeu being remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Gareth Bale (2013-2022)Bale was the hottest property in Europe when he joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 and his career at the Bernabeu speaks for itself. He won four Champions League titles, one LaLiga title, one Copa Del Rey, two Spanish Super Cups and three European Super Cups. He scored 106 goals in 258 appearances, often vying for the spotlight with Cristiano Ronaldo, before it turned sour at the end of his stay, where his relationship with boss Zinedine Zidane and the fans was frosty at best.
Caroline Weir (2022-Present)Weir became the first British woman – and first Scot – to play for Real Madrid when she signed on a free transfer from Manchester City last summer. The attacker enjoyed a successful debut season in the Spanish capital, scoring 15 goals, while also knocking her former side out of the Women’s Champions League.
Steven Naismith handed two-year Hearts contract after spell as interim boss
Steven Naismith will continue to lead Hearts after being handed a two-year contract following his term as interim manager.
Naismith has been named as technical director with Frankie McAvoy as head coach, in order to comply with UEFA regulations until the former Scotland international earns his Pro Licence coaching qualification. Gordon Forrest will remain as first-team coach.
The former Kilmarnock, Rangers, Everton, Norwich and Hearts player took charge of the final seven games of the season and kept the Jambos in fourth place in the cinch Premiership.
Chief executive Andrew McKinlay told the official Hearts website: “We are thrilled to confirm Steven, Frankie and Gordon as our coaching team.
“We received a number of excellent applications, and, after a robust recruitment process, we believe the three were the best candidates to lead us into next season while sharing our vision for the club’s future.
“Steven is an outstanding young coach with a strong track record of improving players whilst also displaying a commitment to blooding young talent through the ranks.”
Real Madrid agree deal to sign England’s Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund
Jude Bellingham is closing in on a move to Real Madrid after the Spanish side struck a deal with Borussia Dortmund worth an initial £88.5million.
The 19-year-old moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020 and has long dreamt of moving to the LaLiga giants.
England star Bellingham is now on the cusp of completing his move to Madrid.
Dortmund confirmed in a statement that the Spanish side have agreed to pay 103m euros (£88.5m), with an additional amount of around 30 per cent of that fixed fee agreed.
If those add-ons are achieved, the deal could reach 133.9m euros (£115m).
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