Stoke City boss Mark Hughes believes Pep Guardiola is making a mistake not playing Fabian Delph in Manchester City's midfield.

Hughes admits not seeing Delph's conversion to left back coming, but he has joked that Guardiola would probably play a midfielder in goal, given the chance.

"He'd have come here as a midfielder," said Hughes, adding with a smile: "I think Pep likes midfielder players. I think he'd play a midfielder in goal if he could – he wants them all over the pitch!

"I think we were very close to getting Fabian here. We expressed a real interest and certainly he felt we were a very good option.

"He thought very deeply about whether or not he needed to leave Man City and I think in the back of his mind he felt there was unfinished business."