International football takes centre stage over the next two weeks, with crucial World Cup qualifiers taking place all over the world.
England take on Malta on Saturday in what will be Gareth Southgate’s first match in charge, before travelling to Slovenia on Tuesday night.
However, the fortnight break gives Premier League managers a chance to scout out some talent from across the globe by seeing how they get on for their country.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola may be one of those managers.
Although City have made a great start to the new season, they haven’t won their last two matches, and have conceded five goals in the process.
Consequently, the former Barcelona man may feel that he needs to strengthen his side in the upcoming transfer window, so here are THREE players City should scout over the international break…
Moussa Dembele
Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
Although City got a first-hand account of exactly how good Moussa Dembele is, they should definitely try and see some more of the young French forward over the next few weeks.
The 20-year-old scored twice in Celtic’s 3-3 draw with City last week – ending Guardiola’s 100% winning start at the club – and was a constant menace throughout the evening. He is a player with bags of talent and has the potential be a one of the best forwards in Europe.
He is due to make his debut for the French Under-21 side this week against Georgia, and it would certainly be worth City sending some scouts to continue monitoring his progress.
Mahmoud Dahoud
City looked pretty lightweight in midfield in their defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, so Guardiola may want to look at what young talent there is available to strengthen that central midfield area for years to come.
One option is the highly-rated Mahmoud Dahoud, currently of Borussia Monchengladbach.
He has been tracked by Liverpool in the past, and has been called-up to the Germany Under-21 squad for their potentially tricky matches against Russia and Austria next week.
How Dahoud performs in those matches may say a lot about his character, so City should definitely try and see him in action over the next week or so.
Marquinhos
Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
Vincent Kompany’s persistent injures are likely to be a major cause for concern for Guardiola, so he may look at bringing in a highly-rated centre-back to bolster his defensive options.
Subsequently, the City management team should look to scout Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos over the next two weeks.
The 22-year-old has been called up to the Brazil team for their qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela, as he looks to continue progressing into one of the world’s best defenders.
He helped his country win Olympic Gold in Rio last summer, and appears to have matured at a quick rate alongside Thiago Silva at the heart of the PSG defence.
He is quick, strong, and his positional awareness is superb – he is only going to get better, so City should keep an eye on him in the coming weeks.