Paper Round: Manchester United given boost in David De Gea contract talks

David De Gea set to sign bumper new deal: David de Gea is closing in on a new long-term Manchester United contract after Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti made clear he is happy with his goalkeeping options, according to a report in the Daily Mail. It has been widely reported that the Spanish giants had been keeping a close eye on the United stopper over the last 12 months, with De Gea’s impressive form this season alerting Ancelotti. The Old Trafford outfit made clear their intentions to reward De Gea with a new contract and have been waiting on the Spaniard to determine where his future lies. With 18 months left on his contract, United boss Louis van Gaal is keen to iron out a new deal for his No. 1 and it seems that the Dutchman may now get his wish after it was reported that Ancelotti ruled out any possible move for the 24-year-old. The Italian apparently informed his intermediaries he is happy with current stoppers Iker Casillas and Keylor Navas.

Paper round’s view: If this story is indeed true then it is fantastic news for Louis van Gaal and Manchester United. The Spaniard has undoubtedly been United’s player of the season and has secured them more points than any of his team-mates. Losing De Gea in the summer would have certainly sent the wrong message as the Old Trafford club look to break back into the upper echelons of European football, and tying the 24-year-old down to a new long-term deal may be the catalyst for a spending spree during the off-season.

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Liverpool ‘win race to sign Ings’: Burnley striker Danny Ings has rejected the chance to join Real Sociedad and will instead sign for Liverpool in the summer, says a report in the Mirror. Ings flew to Spain earlier in the month to speak with former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes to discuss a potential move to the La Liga outfit. But, according to the Mirror, Moyes has admitted defeat in his pursuit of the 22-year-old, whose contract is set to expire in the summer, with Ings keen on a transfer to Anfield. The Mirror claim that Tottenham, Manchester City and even Chelsea have all been keeping tabs on the Burnley striker in recent months, but it now appears that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has won the race to secure the hot-shot’s signature.

Paper round’s view: Ings has been one of the Premier League’s surprise packages this term so it comes as no surprise to see that a host of top clubs have all been vying for his signature – even though it may be a stretch to think that City or Chelsea were ever interested in the 22-year-old. Regardless, it’s a near-certainty that Ings will depart Turf Moor when his current contract ends but the Mirror report that a switch to Liverpool would be beneficial for the Clarets – even though they would be handing over one of their most-prized assists to a fellow English club. As Ings is under 24, if he were to move to Spain then Burnley would only receive around £300,000 in compensation, but if he were to stay in England, Liverpool would have to pay a much larger fee, believed to be around £6m.

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Arsenal to battle rivals for Ghanaian starlet: Arsenal have joined the race to sign Cagliari youngster Godfred Donsah and will go head-to-head with fierce rivals for the 18-year-old’s signature, according to the London Evening Standard. Mauricio Pochettino reportedly sent his scouts to watch the young midfielder earlier this season, and it has since been revealed that Manchester City and Arsenal have also had representatives in Italy to keep tabs on the Ghanaian. Donsah has proven to be one of the most promising and exciting talents in Italy this season and has caught the attention of the Premier League trio.

Paper round’s view: In what has been his breakthrough year in Sardinia, Donsah has impressed during his time at Cagliari and certainly seems to be a promising young talent. Quick, powerful and wonderfully gifted, it comes as no surprise to see three of the Premier League’s biggest clubs chasing his signature, but, should any of the outfits step up their interest, any such deal may be tremendously complicated as he will need a work permit. It is expected that the Home Office will tighten their rules on these matters in the summer, meaning a club can only be certain of securing a work permit for a non-EU player by buying him for at least £10m. Of course, Donsah will cost considerably less than that, so the only real hope of bringing him to England would be to apply for a permit under the FA’s “exceptional talent” guidelines.