Ronaldo ready for return to Madrid
Spanish newspaper Marca believes that a move for Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid is on the cards. The 36-year-old striker has come to the conclusion that his time at Juventus is coming to an end, with the move to Italy a failure after no success in the Champions League. Zinedine Zidane is ready for him to return, and the player would be happy to come back.
Paper Round’s view: Ronaldo shows little sign of slowing down in front of goal and his arrival would be a pragmatic stop-gap if they are unable to get one of Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe. Even if they did arrive, the sheer quality of Ronaldo would give them a fearsome front three with Karim Benzema, and allow Real to get back to challenging in the league and in Europe.
Mbappe or Haaland? Or both? Real Madrid’s summer plans – Euro Papers
Real kean on Kane
The Sun reports that Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is a target for Real Madrid this summer. The 27-year-old England international may be willing to leave the Premier League side if they fail to win a trophy or secure Champions League football next season, which would make him easier to sign rather that PSG’s Kylian Mbappe or Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland.
Paper Round’s view: Kane probably only has one or two more years before his body starts to give up on him, given the sheer amount of football he has played over recent years. A move now would be the chance to finally win some trophies before retirement comes into view. For Real, he would probably also cost less than Haaland and Mbappe, which may appeal given the impact of the coronavirus.
Inter want Origi
Inter Milan are linked with a move for Liverpool’s forward, Divock Origi. The 25-year-old Belgian international has struggled to establish himself in the first team at Anfield and Diogo Jota’s return to fitness has left him further still from regular minutes on the pitch. The Mirror reports that he could be let go to raise funds if Liverpool do not get Champions League football next year.
Paper Round’s view: Origi is 25 now and he has shown nowhere near enough to command another season at the club, unless he’s happy to remain in the background for the rest of his career. He needs to be playing regularly, but given Inter have Lautaro Martinez it is hard to see how he would be able to displace him, given he is so far not much more than a mediocre talent.
Lloris linked to United
Manchester United could sign Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris this season. The 34-year-old French international has one more year on his current deal, and could be the man to replace David de Gea as Dean Henderson looks to step into the number one position. For Spurs, they could make a move for fellow French national side goalkeeper, Lille’s Mike Maignan.
Paper Round’s view: Signing Lloris would make sense for United. De Gea is almost certain to leave, it appears, and Paris Saint-Germain appear ready to sign him. Dean Henderson looks like a sensible option for the long term but doubts will remain until he truly proves himself, so an experienced head like Lloris would be able to step in should he not be able to cope with life at Old Trafford.
