AS BRAZIL SHOW MANAGER THE DOOR, INEVITABLE LINKS TO PEP SURFACE ONCE MORE

HAPPY 'Pep Guardiola linked with Brazil' Day to all who celebrate... Last year the links came in November, this year the roaming annual holiday has come early in March, with Brazil sacking manager Dorival Junior on the back of a humiliating defeat to Argentina.

- JOE BRAY

Rumours have already been shot down by Carlo Ancelotti this week (again), so naturally reports have moved on to their next target - Guardiola. But will he take over Brazil and leave City?

This is not the first time Guardiola has been linked with one of international football's most attractive, and pressured, jobs. If Guardiola was to enter the international arena, you would expect the options are limited.

He always insists that his success is down to having brilliant players, and with even less time to impose his detailed philosophy on an international squad, he surely needs a talented group ready to kick on and win.

Brazil generally fit that brief despite recent struggles. Argentina would present a romantic reunion with Lionel Messi, but they have Lionel Scaloni and are the current World Champions.