Paper Round: Real plan Antoine Griezmann move, if United swoop for Madrid star Gareth Bale

Real Madrid will look to bring over Atletico Madrid’s prize possession Antoine Griezmann, if Gareth Bale leaves to join Man Utd this summer. Don Balon reports (via the Daily Star) that Real will go all out to lure the Frenchman away from their city rivals, with Bale’s injury problems a cause for concern for Zinedine Zidane. The move would also stun United, who are the frontrunners to land Griezmann once the season is over.

Paper Round’s view: This would certainly be a turn up for the books. But it seems more than a little far-fetched. You would imagine Griezmann knows better than to cross the Madrid divide, particularly as he would not be the big fish if he made the short journey over. That’s not to say he’s ever shown the ego of some other world-class forwards, but a player of his standard would be better off flourishing at United, or better yet, staying at Atletico – who are a far stronger outfit than the Manchester club anyway.

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Moussa Dembele has impressed for Celtic this season, and it appears the 20-year-old has made a decision on his future. The Express claims the Frenchman wants to stay with the Hoops for at least another season, and having scored 32 goals this campaign, that is music to Celtic fans’ ears. Dembele had his first taste of Champions League football this season, and despite interest from Premier League clubs, he will look to lead Celtic into Europe once more next campaign.

Paper Round’s view: It won’t be long before Dembele heads south of the border, if not even further south into mainland Europe, but why not stay another season and fine-tune himself further at Celtic? Another fruitful season would suit all parties, it would make the striker sharper, while it would also slap another £10m on his price-tag.

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Liverpool have slapped a £30m price tag on Mamadou Sakho following his loan spell at Crystal Palace. The defender enjoyed a successful stint down in London after being deemed surplus to requirements at Liverpool, and the Daily Mirror claim that the Merseyside outfit will look to receive £30m for the centre-back. Liverpool paid £12m for the 27-year-old just three years ago, but after a bust-up with manager Jurgen Klopp, it appears unlikely that he’ll work his way back into the German’s plans.

Paper Round’s view: £30m is a huge ask. But having sold Christian Benteke to Palace for near what they bought him for, it’s clear Liverpool want a similar fee for Sakho. Palace made a meal of staying up this year – just look at their squad – and Liverpool are streetwise in knowing that the Eagles will probably want to make Sakho a permanent addition. At this price, however, that will be tricky.

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Barely five months after losing Dimitri Payet, West Ham now face a battle to hold onto their greatest creative outlet, Manuel Lanzini. The Argentine has stepped up since Payet returned to Marseille, but the Mirror are now reporting that Ronald Koeman wants to bring the playmaker over to Everton. And with Everton also said to be interested in Gylfi Sigurdsson, it could be a busy transfer window for the Toffees, who look set to lose duo Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley.

Paper Round’s view: It’s tough for clubs like Everton. Just as they want to make the step up, bigger teams come in for their star players, and then they must search further down the food chain. Both Lanzini and Sigurdsson would be quality additions for Everton, but they’ll be back to square one next season, particularly if Lukaku moves on for pastures new. Likewise, it’s just as tough for West Ham – who will be desperate to break through to Everton’s level in the coming years, but must hold onto their best players in the process.