Paper Round: Manchester United suffer blow, Schuerrle closes on Germany switch

New Strootman injury scuppers United move: Manchester United’s planned move for Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman has hit the rocks after the Dutchman picked up a fresh injury on his return to competitive action. Strootman, who has been a long-term target of Louis van Gaal, picked up a fresh knock to his troublesome knee early on in his side’s 1-1 draw against Fiorentina on Sunday. The Sun quotes Roma boss Rudi Garcia as saying, “The doctor has seen it and it seems that it isn’t a serious injury. But with a knee we must always be careful. Let’s see what happens in the next few hours, he has already suffered so much with knee injuries.”

Paper Round’s view: United’s pursuit of Strootman has been well documented but a January move always looked like a long shot even before this latest injury, considering the length of his lay-off. It’s now almost certain he won’t be going anywhere but still expect United to make a move in the summer.

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Pogba move still a possibility: Staying on the subject of possible Manchester United midfield targets, it appears that former player Paul Pogba could yet be open to a move back to either Old Trafford...or Stamford Bridge. That’s according to METRO, who quote Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri as saying “To win games, you need to have strong players, otherwise there wouldn’t be players worth 100 million euros (£75 million) and others worth five. Everything has a value in life, unfortunately, and the outstanding players are hard to replace, but things always move on in football. For now, let’s just enjoy having him.”

Paper Round’s view: This one seems even more unlikely for United than signing Strootman in January. Pogba recently committed his immediate future to Juventus and although a move to Chelsea appears likelier than to the club he turned his back on, it’s still a slim possibility.

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Schuerrle on brink of Wolfsburg switch: Out-of-favour Chelsea winger Andre Schuerrle will miss his side’s Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday “after Wolfsburg officials travelled to London over the weekend to hold talks with Chelsea about the deal,” says The Telegraph. The paper adds, “The official reason for Schuerrle’s probable absence against Liverpool in the second leg of Chelsea’s Capital One Cup semi-final is the back injury that was blamed for him missing the FA Cup defeat against Bradford City. Wolfsburg officials travelled to London over the weekend to hold talks with Chelsea about the possibility of signing Schuerrle before the January transfer window shuts.”

Paper Round’s view: This is one January transfer move that does look likely to go ahead. Schuerrle has slipped down the pecking order this season and with Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado and Shakhtar’s Douglas Costa both high on Jose Mourinho’s wish list, the German’s days look numbered. Chelsea are thought to want around £25 million for Schurrle although a loan deal with a view to a permanent move would be another option.

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Van Gaal blocks PSG move for Januzaj: Also in Tuesday’s Telegraph, “Louis van Gaal has blocked attempts by Paris Saint Germain to lure Adnan Januzaj from Manchester United by insisting he has no plans to offload the Belgian winger.”

Paper Round’s view: Januzaj appears to have slipped out of favour with van Gaal, the winger starting just five games this season. PSG attempted to sign him last season before he signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford and now the French champions have made further enquiries, according to the player’s agent. But van Gaal’s insistence that he is an important member of the squad and is going nowhere has to be believed.

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United and Real battle for Bilbao’s Laporte: Completing a bumper round of Manchester United transfer gossip, the Daily Mail reports that “United and Real Madrid are going head-to-head for the signature of Atheltic Bilbao's central defender Aymeric Laporte. The 20-year-old France Under 21 international has been on United's radar for the past couple of seasons - with their well-documented defensive problems yet to be solved.” The paper puts the figure of his buyout clause as £31.5m plus VAT and also mentions PSG defender Marquinhos as a possible option although he is likely to cost in the region of £50 million.

Paper Round’s view: United’s issues in the centre of defence have been well-documented and it is an issue that definitely needs to be addressed. A host of other names have been mentioned, including Mats Hummels and Diego Godin. But with all commanding prices around the £30 million mark and time slipping away, the chances of signing a marquee centre back in January appear to be diminishing.