Robbie Williams is heading for the top of the charts with his new album - but sales are significantly down on his last effort.

Rudebox is on course to shift close to 200,000 albums by the end of the week, according to industry estimates.

Williams is on target to make the number one spot this Sunday, comfortably outselling his nearest rivals.

But it is a far cry from his last album, Intensive Care, which gave the pop star his highest ever first week sales of 373,832.

Rudebox has received mixed reviews from the critics, with one dubbing it "his strangest album to date" and another calling it an "absolute howler".

The title track reached only number four in the singles chart.

But the news is not all bad.

Rudebox will become Williams' eighth solo number one album - a feat matched only by David Bowie for a British artist.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo said: "If Robbie delivers his eighth UK solo number one, he will match David Bowie and go only two behind Elvis Presley.

"It will also be his 11th number one in total if you include his success with Take That. It reaffirms Robbie's position as the UK's number one artist, and there's every chance he will match and then overtake Elvis's longstanding record with his future releases."

Source: Yahoo Music