Paper Round: Diego Simeone waiting for Manchester City job

‘Simeone waiting for City job’ - Diego Simeone is stalling on a new contract at Atletico Madrid, in the hope of getting the Manchester City job - that’s according to the Daily Mirror. The 44-year-old has been offered an extension until 2022 by Atletico after establishing himself as one of the best young coaches in world football. But despite holding talks with the Spanish champions, Simeone has reportedly not signed because he fancies the City job and is prepared to wait until the summer to see what unfolds there. The paper reports that Simeone, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola are seen as potential replacements for under fire current boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Paper Round’s view: City boss Pellegrini appears to be under increasing pressure at the Etihad and if he fails to deliver a trophy this season there is an increasing likelihood he may well go, that’s in spite of winning the Premier League title last season. Former Argentina midfielder Simeone has proved his credentials on the European stage, which is where Pellegrini has been tripped up during his time at City, and is under contract until 2017 – but if he is as fiercely ambitious as most people believe, he could well fancy his chances of taking a very talented and expensively-assembled squad to new heights.

‘Falcao to have to sweat on United future’ - Radamel Falcao will have to wait until May to discover if Manchester United are to make his move from Monaco permanent as Louis van Gaal will not make any decision until then, that’s according to a report in The Guardian. The paper understands that United do not have to exercise the option until near the end of the season; the final Premier League matches are on Sunday 24 May. “It would represent something of a surprise if United were to buy Falcao, particularly given his £43m price tag,” the report explains.

Paper Round’s view: Falcao has clearly struggled for fitness and form since joining on loan last summer. There are at least 12 games of their campaign remaining – 11 in the league plus Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal – and so the striker will, in effect, be playing for his future at the club. Falcao has managed a total of just four goals in his 20 appearances for Van Gaal’s side, so it would not shock or disappoint many United fans if he were to move on given his lack of production since arriving at Old Trafford. He still has time to prove everyone wrong, though.

‘Liverpool to move for Carvalho’ - Liverpool are poised to make a move for William Carvalho after a setback in their attempts to land Miralem Pjanic, that’s according to the Daily Mirror. Roma's American owners have gone one step further than the club chiefs who slapped a £37m price tag on Pjanic by insisting he is not for sale at any price. As a result, Liverpool are reportedly considering alternatives and had defensive midfielder Carvalho watched in Sporting Lisbon's 3-0 defeat to Porto on Sunday. Angola-born Portugal international Carvalho is also on Arsenal and Manchester United's radars, reports the paper.

Paper Round’s view: The Pjanic story is one that has lingered for some time now. Liverpool were reportedly quoted a huge fee for Pjanic – believed to be their top target to replace outgoing skipper Steven Gerrard - after boss Brendan Rodgers travelled to the Italian capital and held talks with Roma's director of football Walter Sabatini. But this apparent sudden shift to Carvalho could be Liverpool’s way of indicating to Roma that they will not be held to ransom in trying to sign Pjanic. Who really knows? Either way, this report appears to have been heavily influenced by agents vying for position ahead of the summer.

‘Arsenal to sell midfielders to make room for signing’ – Arsene Wenger is preparing to bring the curtain down on Abou Diaby’s injury-plagued Arsenal career and the troubled Frenchman will be followed through the Emirates exit by Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini to clear the way for a major midfield signing this summer – that’s according to a report in The Sun. If Wenger can persuade Arteta to stay, Flamini will reportedly be sold for a cut-price fee, with any money raised helping to fund a £20m bid for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin.

Paper Round’s view: Frankly, this appears long overdue. The 28-year-old Diaby has managed just one first team appearance all season, playing a mere 67 minutes of the Capital One Cup defeat by Southampton in September. If Wenger now finally thinks he cannot justify handing a new contract to a player whose current deal expires in June then it makes complete sense given his injury record and the seeming improbability of him ever recovering form and fitness for a sustained period of time. Diaby has managed just 16 Premier League appearances in four years, plus Francis Coquelin has just been rewarded with a new three-year contract.