One Direction have today been predicted to score the third largest weekly sales in the US this year.

Industry sources have forecasted that the boyband’s second album, 'Take Me Home,' is likely to sell half a million copies by this Sunday, guaranteeing them a number one position on the Billboard Top 200.

The group could even reach sales of 575,000, which would place them third behind Taylor Swift’s 'Red' (1.2m) and Mumford and Sons’ 'Babel' (600,000) on the list of the highest first week figures for 2012.

The follow-up to chart-topping debut, 'Up All Night,' is also set to comfortably reach the top spot in the UK on Sunday having already sold 94,000 copies in just two days.