Sterling may not get Spanish move
Spanish newspaper Marca examines the chances of Raheem Sterling moving to one of either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The Manchester City forward has struggled to displace Jack Grealish and his asking price of 80 million would probably be too much for Barcelona, while Real will be focusing their resources on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Transfers
Haaland demands £30m-per-year wages as clubs prepare summer bids – Paper Round
A DAY AGO
Paper Round’s view: Sterling is still just 26 and he has years left in him before there need to be concerns about his age. With his pace and direct attacking ability, he would be able to do a similar job to Mbappe and would be far cheaper. Perhaps Real could consider Haaland with his release clause and ally him with Sterling on one of the wings.
‘I was never on the bench’ – Man City boss on future of Sterling
United and Liverpool target Ajax youngster
Ryan Gravenberch is wanted by both Manchester United and Liverpool to fill a space in their respective midfields, according to The Mirror. The 19-year-old could sign fresh terms with Ajax, with his current deal set to expire in 2023. United and Liverpool believe they both need reinforcements in midfield and could turn their attention to the youngster.
Paper Round’s view: Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic are simply not good enough to bring home major trophies at Old Trafford, and Liverpool miss Georginio Wijnaldum after he departed to Paris Saint-Germain. If Gravenberch really has exceptional talent then he would get more time at United, but Liverpool have a better quality setup for him to learn from.
Juventus target Kepa
The Sun reports that Juventus want to bring in a replacement for Wojciech Szczesny in the summer transfer window. Max Allegri is tired of the Polish ‘keeper’s inconsistent form and he has identified Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as theman to take over between the sticks, despite having played just three times so far this season.
Paper Round’s view: Few doubt Kepa’s natural ability given some of his performances before his struggles at Chelsea. Clearly he needs a chance to prove himself and get a decent run for a first team, and that is not going to happen at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to the move is making sure Chelsea can stomach a loss on their roughly £70 million initial outlay.
Wilshere re-considers Derby transfer
The Daily Mail claims that Jack Wilshere would now consider a move to Derby County. The 28-year-old midfielder was training with Arsenal and Como but failed to sign on anywhere this summer, and was offered the chance to join Derby under Wayne Rooney. However with no other employment on the horizon he would now consider another Championship opportunity.
Paper Round’s view: Wilshere is a talented player but as he admits, The Championship is far from perfect for his talents. But if he does not find regular minutes soon then there will be even fewer opportunities for him next summer, and then he will be so close to 30 that there will not be many teams willing to take a risk on him.
Transfers
Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal battle for £50m Calvert-Lewin – Paper Round
YESTERDAY AT 05:21
Transfers
Solskjaer has two games to save his job – Paper Round
20/10/2021 AT 04:50
